together. Miss Laura said that if she did, the larger one would get more
than his share, and the little one would starve.

It was quite a sight to see Billy eat. He spread his legs apart to
steady himself, and gobbled at his food like a duck. When he finished he
always looked up for more, and Miss Laura would shake her head and say
"No, Billy; better longing than loathing. I believe that a great many
little dogs are killed by over feeding."

I often heard the Morrises speak of the foolish way in which some people
stuffed their pets with food, and either kill them by it or keep them in
continual ill health. A case occurred in our neighborhood while Billy
was a puppy. Some people, called Dobson, who lived only a few doors from
the Morrises, had a fine bay mare and a little colt called Sam. They
were very proud of this colt, and Mr. Dobson had promised it to his son
James. One day Mr. Dobson asked Mr. Morris to come in and see the colt,
and I went, too. I watched Mr. Morris while he examined it. It was a
pretty little creature, and I did not wonder that they thought so much
of it.

"When Mr. Morris went home his wife asked him what he thought of it.

"I think," he said, "that it won't live long."

"Why, papa!" exclaimed Jack, who overheard the remark, "it is as fat as
a seal."

"It would have a better chance for its life if it were lean and
scrawny," said Mr. Morris. "They are over-feeding it, and I told Mr.
Dobson so, but he wasn't inclined to believe me."