The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-08-19
: T. II RAW ENNA, fl o. WEDNEs DAY, AUGUsTI9, 1868

handkerchief } "in proof Of my Appreciation
| of his disinterested attentions, the one thing
of all my possessions he seems to value
most, vfz, my dog Vixen, and ten dollars,
wherewith to purchase a, collar for,the afore-
said Vixen,ha 4Amd' (my heart, which had
suddenly sunk to zero; bounded up, again with
an elastic jerk 7""I give and bequeath to my
dear and noble minded nephew, Matthew ALI
ston,'' (down it dropped again. like a mass !of
lead, sail the residue of my property both
Ereal and PERSONAL in token Of my respect for
his genuine honesty and truth hss5 p on ,aidiefa
I What moreh the Inflated document con-
tanned 1 knew not--the ceilings of the'room
seemed to whirl round me, and Mr.. Mort
mains monetonous voice sounded in my sick
ened ears like the.-faint buzz of insects
/ Presently theretwas cessateH;in the tones.
1 a general move and stir among the assembled
groups They gathered round the bewildered
4 legatee. to congratulate him on his unexpect-
ed good luck, and d.one.or two approached me.
+ But + was in no mood to listen to their
plying sentences or half disguised sarcasms
I sprang up, and rushed blindly towards the
i door, as L did SO, stumbled over something
which turned upon me with a spitefu1 sound
,betweena bark anda howI1-it was yixen
IL What wouldn't I have given at that mo-,
I ment of inexpressihle aggrayation, for a good
rope halter, or half an ounce1of the strongest
arsenic, or any other agent that would work
instantaneous annihilation to the whole race
of dogs -. ..,, Il i,sf,3 !s.,i
f made straight toward the door, never
pausing to claim my four-legged bequest, and
scarcely needing the decorously subdued cac-
chination which was going around the room
at my expense, and rushed homeward. 10 Yf ,
Did pause to mention to thealaudlord of
the Cliff that he needn't be particular about
.resetying those elegant apartments for me
Did stop conscientiously at. the tailor's to
. slashed my new suit of, mourning as rattle
d snake his skin !? Nothing of the kind
4 Things had reached that desperate stage with
me in which instant fight. is the only resort
left, Ididn't pack,my trunks, because had
only iust;enough traps to fill aasInallish car
pet-bag but the way that carpet-bag was
filled wouldbe a lesson to any Lightning Elk
press Train. Just as / snapped the lock, and
pocketedt the key, there was, a tremendou:
knocking at the door. 49, .-'
?. "Billy!'' said I, in an energetic whisper
Billy-who's there ?' ?'5.4f,.,nd 5.. .e.s5sl. ,
The obedient youth, instead of proceeding
direct to open the portals, paused on theland
e. ing place, and thrust his shock head out o
t., RI -,- ss ,lsU s,lz-5fal1I is,'f . f-t--
the window -,..-.-.t... 4 .g--.{
"a man with a dog, sir !''d5 7.ls a7Hs Z
"What sort of a dog ?''3T Ts.@7 .a1+'H FL
= ga yaller dog l'' ......-.,-
e p "Vixen-!''', I calculated, between my Sc
teeth. n.Yery well, Billy-let 'em in !":sla
And just as the haunting dog was brough
f. in, snarling and showing herteeth, at the from
: door, I slipped sfyiy out of the back entranc
!. carpet bag in hand, and made a bee-line fo
the first California steamer that, lay in tn
\ docks s=1 aaad 8sal atea DE 7...---~5-.s'..
s What ever became of the four-legged dem
on am wholly unable to say but this l ca
vouch for--I have never been able to abid
the sight of dog since j. !is1E a2s7r a ~