Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-02-20
Jhe Republican.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1868.
A Faithrul Dog.


A Faithful Dog.
81 was indeed" he began, "once
engaged to be married, / believe,
(how 1 went so far as that is mar
vel to me still, but an incident of so
frightful a character took place as to
put the matter entirely out of the
question. / was young under
graduate, spending the summer with
a reading party at the Irish lakes,
when / met with--with Lucy, and
got, in short, to be accepted. She
was residing with her mother, in the
same hotel in Killarney as ourselves,
and we all met every day. We
boated on the lake together, and
fshed, and sang, and read. We
landed on the wooded islands in the
soft summer evenings, to take our
tea in gypsy fashion. and to sketch;
but she and mostly whispered
not about love at all, as l remember,
but of the weather and the rubric;
only it seemed so sweet to sink our
voices and speak low and soft.
Once, in party over the moors,
while was leading her pony over
some boggy ground. / caught her
hand bv mistake instead Of her bri-
die, and she did not snatch it away
1t was the heyday and the prime of
my life, my friend, and that youth of
the spirit which no power can ever
more renew. / knew what she felt,
and what would please her, as soon
as the feeling and the wish them
selves were born. Our thought
my thought at least, 'leapt out to
wed with thought. ere thought could
wed itself with speech She took a
fancy to huge mastiff dog belong
ing to fisherman; and l bought it
for her at once, although it was ter
ribly savage, and, Except for Lucy's
liking it, not either good or beauti-
full. It's name, also-the only one it
would answer to, and sometimes it
would not answer to that-was
Towser, not a name for lady's pet
at all, and scarcely for gentleman's.
There was a little secluded field,
hedged in by coppice, which sloped
into the lake, about mile from the
hotel; and there Lucy agreed (for
the first time to meet me alone. /
was to be there, before breakfast, at
eight o'clock in the morning, and
you may be sure l was there at six
with Towser. Perpas was never
happier than at that particular time.
The universal nature seemed in har-
mony with my blissful feelings.
The sun shone out bright and clear,
so thai the fresh morning breezes
could scarcely cool the pleasant
throbbing of my blood; but the blue
ripping waves of the lake looked
irrepressibly tempting, and / could
not resist swim Just a plunge
and out again, thought L; for though
/ had such plenty of time to spare, /
determined to be dressed and ready
for the interview an hour at least be-
fore the appointed time. Lucy
might, like myself, be little earlier;
and at all events, with such an awful
consequence in possible apprehen-
sion, / would run the shadow Of a
risk Mind my clothes, mind them,
said l to Towser (who took his seat
thereon, at once, sagaciously
enough), for had heard of such
things as clothes being stolen from
unconscious dippers before them,
with results not to- be thought of,
and in 1 went. / remember the de
light of that bath even to this day,
the glow, the freshness, the luxuri
Gus softness Of each particular wave,
Just as the last view which his eyes
rested on is painted on the memory
of one who has been stricken blind.
or the last heard melody is treasured
in that of man stunned deaf by q
fall; it was my last perfect pleasure,
and succeeded by shock that shall
never, think, quite get over.
When had bathed as long as Ijudg-
ed to be prudent, landed and advan-
ced towards the spot where my gar
ments and Towser lay; as did so,
every individual hair upon his back
seemed to bristle with fury, his eyes
kindled Goals offire; he gave me notice
by a low, determined growl that he
would spring on me AMI tear me in
to fragmentsif / approached nearer;
it was evident that he did not recog-
nize me, in the least, without my
clothes. Tow, Tow, Tow, Tow,
Tow said /, pleasantly, good old
Tow, you remember me- but the
brute, like the friend whom we have
known in better day, and appeal to
when in different apparel, only shook
his head in a menacing manner and
showed his teeth the more. Tow
ser, be quiet, sir; how dare you
Tow, Tow, Tow-Towser-(hert
he nearly had a bit OF my calf off +
you nasty, brutal dog; go away, sir
go; amt you ashamed Of your
self?' Drops of foam oozed through
the teeth of the ferocious monster az
he stood up with tail erect at these
reproving words, but he manifested
no sign of remorse or sorrow. My
situation became serious in the ex
treme; what if he choose to sit there
on my personal apparel, until
At this idea, too terrible to be con
Guided, profuse perspiration broke
out all over me. Presently, feeling
a little cold, / went back into The
lake again to consider what was t.
be done, and resolving the fell de
sign of enticing Towser into the wa
ter and there drowning him. Abus'
and fiattery being equally thrown
AWAY rpon him. I tried stones: