The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1868-12-03

eapcrlng with all the demonstrations
of fayorite; but, the next moment,
he ran back into the room to- \ heap
Of straw in the corner, upon which
lay the figure Of mau, and then
throwing up his head, the poor brute
broke out once moro into the doso.
late howl VIC had heard from time to
time, and which l aitorward learned
had attracted attention for days
past.
Howl--howl--howl-.each one
seeming more aud moro pitilul, as
the poor brute ia the intervals stood
10y the head Of the figure, paticd it
with his paws, an then sueiFcd aud
looked at the lace, but only to throw
up its head directly aitcr, aud give
yeLt to the same mourulul prolonged
cry.
The men huddled together aud
whispered. AIRY let his pipe 90 out
aud thrust it into his pocket, aud
though we knew well enough what
it meant, we hesitated about gong
up to the straw in the corner. The
windows were all broken, aud few
ashes in the CRATE showed that there
had been a fire lately, but thoro was
not scrap Of furniture in the room,
uor yet u trace of food.
Wot's that on the dawg's neck ?"
whispered the shoemaker, aud now
saw that something was tied there,
with what seemed to be a strip Of a
handkerchief
The dog came willingly enough on
being called, crouchiug down, cold
and shiveriug violently, at my feet,
aud it was evident from his project
ing bones that the poor brute was
nearly starved while upon uutying
the rag from his neck, found that
it passed through an old card, upon
which was scratched in pencil
"Bs kind to him; his mans is Dash,
My last friend"
"My last friend ~ volume in
those words, and more ohan inter.
proted by the way in which tho last
faithful friend ran back to the figure
upon the straw once more and howl.
ed.
1t was sore task, but it had to bo
done; and the poor ignorant men
who were at my side crcpt UP with
me to the straw, whom, in a broken,
husky voice, the shoemaker exclaim-
ed
My God Look at the poor
BARN l'
For there, pressed closely to the
dead mans breast-folded in his
arms, covered only by the ragged
cotton shirt; for tho coat was wrap,-
pod round aud round the infaut-lsy,
child Of about eighteen months old, 4,
apparently dead Of some inlanliIe
scourge, for its little face was blotch-
cd aud scared, while he who held n
to wsDm in his bosom had too surely
died of that frightful scourge OF man
kind-Want.
Not another word was spoken in
the room, as first one aud then an.
other Of the men notified tho aoces-
sorios Of that mourniul sight, and
then looked from one to the other
as if asking, what next?' But when
one had cosxed tho dog away, and
held him struggling in his arms to
get back as we descended the stairs,
all seemed to understand that the
owner Of the dog had .crept into that
empty house to die, and 80 we said,
"Mhy did he not go to the union p
As we reached the front party the
dog got free. and dashed up stairs
again, tumbling over as from weak
ness, while now there was a police
man to investigate the matter from
information he had receiyed-one
who seemed half disposed to resent
our interference in the matter. But
before he had taken down all our
names, and heard all we had to tell,
AIRY Chorse had returned from a
journey with savelOy and penny
loaf,
Now, then, where are you off
to ?" exclaimed the constable but
AIRY was half way down tho fight
of stairs by that time and he soon
returned to tell ms how "that ere
dog did eat"
should like to keep him, that |
should" said the rough fellow, and
it seemed strange, but, dog-hater as
| am, began thinking Of the words
upon the card l hid given the police
man, and feeling that |, too, should
like to keep that dog.
Dead-starved to death within but a
few yards Of wealth aud plenty; within
reach Of the roar Of tho hurrying
stream of life whereon he was too
weak to swim, but beaten down by
those pressing on faint and help
less, he had crawled out from the
last eddy to lie down and die, watch
cd over by his last friend the
friend of friends who would not leave
him, who had taken the last crumb
given gratefully, and when there was
on other, crawled up on the straw by
his friends side, faithful and true to
the last; when, bowling pitifully, he
had tried to rouse him TO some sense
of his being there, but in vain--a
friend Of friends, faithful even unto
death. Ay, aud even after.
Where vas he now, when the iD-
quest was over, the fees paid, and
the Coroners order given for the
pauper's funeral--where was he
now-the dead mans last friend p
Running here and there in the court,
looking up in face after face, and
whining as if TO ask, What have
they done with him, and the little
thing that played with me and pulled
my ears2 Where are they gomez"
For Dash could not comprehend the
lmoanin0 NJ tho wort houao sLau and