"Oh," exclaimed Franz, "they have gathered the summer pears, and I was
not there to help. But all are well, and they send love to Aunt Steiner
and thank her for her goodness to me. Boys, what have you in yours?"

"All are well," responded Fritz, "but father says I should not have
brought Pixy. He says that he will not only be a trouble to us and to
Aunt Fanny, but it will do the dog no good."

"I have never thought to ask where you got Pixy," remarked his aunt,
"perhaps you can tell me, Fritz."

"Yes, aunt. He belonged to a neighbor who did not want him so gave him
away. One cold day in winter the poor dog came all the way back, half
starved, and scratched at our neighbor's door; but the hard-hearted man
threw a bucket of cold water upon him and he ran to our door. Father
took him in, fed and dried him, and the first week kept saying, 'If I
only knew of some one who wants a good, gentle, young dog.' After
another week he said, 'I will keep the dog. I could not bear to give him
to some one that might not be kind to him.' So we kept him and named him
Pixy, which father said was another name for fairy. I hope nothing will
happen to him on this journey, for father would be so sorry."

"We will all care for him, that nothing may happen," said his aunt,
cheerfully.

"Aunt Fanny, when I write home, will you write a line in my letter and
say that you will see that nothing happens to Pixy?"

"Certainly, I will say that we will take the best care of him that we