This is a school story, and Frisk is a school dog who takes the children's safety and promptness seriously. It describes the daily life of one of those small town 19th c schools run by educated women by subscription, schools which are none the less open to those in need. The teacher guides the children's moral growth tactfully and their recitations are accompanied by thoughtful questioning and extensions, as they learn at their own pace. If they have been diligent, the last hour of the day is reserved for projects and reading aloud. After school, the children can run down to the river, or go on pleasant walks and wagon rides, before returning home for the chores needed to help their families. In short, an idyllic situation, with a gifted and beloved teacher.
Miss Agatha guides the children toward helping the white poor of the village in a dignified way, so it is a shock to see the unspoken racial prejudices and the gently patronizing customs toward people of colour held by liberal New England society intrude on this scene. Mrs. Sanford was the eldest of 10 children in an Episcopalian minister's family, and the wife of a minister, with 6 children herself, so she knows children's inner feelings well. A good writer, very popular in her day, whose books were often beautifully produced, like this one.
