The Republican journal., 1871-02-16

Katrine,'' said /, ''but | don't want the
porker choked to death in his prime"
My wife discharged Katrine, in an impa-
! tient moment. soon after this, because the
girl threw into the swill-pall four quarts of
rich Uncovered milk that had been pro-
cured with great trouble from the country,
to make prlze pudding for dinner party
that gave to some of my friends. katrine
was pure citv-bred, and never had seen such
looking milk before in her life she supposed
it spoiled, and into the swill-pail it went.
We had had our porker about month,
and he had grown with marvellous clerity.
The condition of things in my back garden
occupied very large share Of my attention :;
for though small, it has been literally stock
ed and diligently cared for, and there was
quite rivalry between my neighbOr Jones
and myself in this matter, Jones boasted of
very superior eruditon in these things, and
being Il gentleman of leisure he had more
time to look after them than I had; but |
| struggled hard not to be distanced. There
was no disputing the point Of Jones lsabellas
being rather ahead of mine, but in most re-
| spects felt myself his peer.
September showed our garden rich with an
abundance of tomatoes, cabbages, onions,
beets, beans, and SO on, while the apple-tree,
the two plum trees. and the grape-vines hung
heavy with their load.
One day our porker got out Of his pen. and
went roofing around in the garden with 4
tumultuous exercise of his sudden freedom.
Of course the women never saw him; it was
washing day, believe. The havoc he had
made by the time | came home at night was
thrilling to witness. Nobody could tell how
long he had been out of his pen but Judging
by the devastation witnessed he must have
been out since morning. Tennysons verse
in Maud may give a a faint indication of
my emotions, as / stood in the back door that
evening:
The roots of my hair have stirred
And my pulses closed their gates with shock on
my heart
There was nothing to do now, however,
but to put him back in the pen. AS he had
grown, porker had developed a very ugly ex-
preston OF cOuntenance, and as looked at
him now, with his tushes protruding in a
most villianous way, | confess he was not
cheerful sight for a timid man. However, I
got big stick and went at him with loud
'shoos" and extravagant Furnishings of my
weapon. He eyed me quietly out of his vic
ious little optics, and whisked his curly tail
defantly. I soon found there was no driving
him back to his pen. He lodged me in the
most exasperating manner. He doubled and
twisted in Il way to set at naught all my cal
culations. | was no match for him; Jones
came out while I was exercising myself with
the porker, and laughed at me over the fence.
''Iou don't 90 ut it in the right way Dobb,'
said he.
''Perhaps you'd like to try it yourself, Mr..
.Jones,'' | said, with some dignity Of manner
and very red face.
Take him by the tail,n said Jones calmly,
in reply ''Get his nose aimed toward the
pen and then pull his tail. The more you
pull one way the more he'll pull the other,
and he'll be in the pen before you know it.o
Susan, who was standing on the back steps
looking at me laughed 50 heartily at this
that l felt quite good humored again, and
asked Jones to come over and give us the
benefit of his superior wisdom. After lit
tie more banter, and the handing Of a splen
did cluster Of Isabellas to Susan, he climbed
the fence.
..Now, Dobb,n said Jones. .-we'll form a
line-you and and Mrs. Dobb and the ser-
want girl
Il beg to be excused, Mr.. Jones" laughed
Susan, with n timid glance at the parlor.
My dear madam" said Jones, gallantly,
''theres no danger at all. | am quite in earn
est, assure you. 1t is pigs nature to yield
to overwhelming numbers. We have only
sort OF crescent, and he will give up the
struggle at once, as you will see.''
So it was undertaken. Porker stood by
the fence, eyeing us with deep expression
of interest We moved down upon him he
wheeled about, snortel, and then made q
dive at us, or rather at me, and whish he
went between my legs, so that | sprowled on
the ground most ungracefully. Susan and
the servant girl ran screaming into the house,
and Jones was over the fence in no time.
The result of it was, we sent for Peter. 1t
had now grown somewhat dark, but Peter
made short work of the Job He got rope,
and took in the other hand the big stick l
had been fiourishing; then he went mp to
porker, fetched him one tremendous blow
over the proposcis, apd while poor piggy was
staggering and seeing million of stars, slip
ped the rope over one Of the hind legs and
had him into the pen in a trice.
Peter said |, after that ''you may come
round tomorrow if you are not engaged
and gather what's left of the vegetables
He did so. There was good lot left, after
all. Porker's havoc was greater in appear
ance than in reality, Peter stored the cellar
with abundance-among other things, with
a nice lot Of superior beans in the soft pods,
which lay there until they got mouldy, and
were fit for nothing but swill
l remember, as 1t were but Yesterday,
the morning those beans were fed to our pig.
| was going out Of town to be gone three
days, on business of Importance. | saw a
supply of mouldy beans fed to the porker
and then | departed. 70 say that did not
think of my pig while | was away, would
be to state an untruth. | did think of him.
Though lost to sight he was to memory dear.
| am seldom away from home and conse-
quently | am missed when | am away-and
my welcome on returning is wont to be of
the most atfcctionatc description. But on
this occasion, greatly to my surprise, Susan
was not in the front hall to greet me. |
waded through the children into the back
part of the house, where Susan was | fan
ced she looked at me with a half frightened
air, but l took her fondly to my arms, and
was about imprntinga rapturous kiss on her
lips when my eye CHANGED to 60 out of the
window, and | suspended the kiss midway of
delivery. The door of the pig-pen stood
wide open, and there was peculiar aspect
of desolation about it,
''Where's our porker9'' asked, postpon-
ing the kiss pro temporc.
s'Our porker,' said Mrs. Dobb, gravely,
''is in his grave
Good heavens !" cried, ''dead!' and i'm
mediately went out to look at his deserted
abode.
| was quite calm by dinner time. and in
formed Susan that | was ready to hear the
particulars of the sad event
"Well, James she commenced, 'syou know
you directed those beans to be fed to him ?'
''Oh, that's it! thought it would be laid
at my door in some manner, Notwithstanding
the little circumstance that was over two
hundred miles away. Well, proceed
$50 the girl gave him beans for dinner,
and beans for supper, and the next morning
81 nnt who I'd