Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-10
ENSIGN JACkMAN'S DOG.
By KIRKLAND.

ALL the dogs want their histories writ
ten-at least their friends want them
written And next in order comes the
Ensign's dog. But as for the beginning
OF his history--no man knows it !; and
the end has not come yet.
But about the Ensign first He carried
regimental flag in the war of 1912, and
earned his title, and everybody knew him
byit-the old ensign.
He was farmer, and lived Just on the
outskirts Of the village, with his wife as
old as himself, His children were mid
dle,aged men and women, settled at the
West, long ago The aged couple lived
by themselves, in state of exceeding
comfort he called her Mother and
she called him {" Father "a pleasing
habit which some old people fan into,
and which constantly reminds them both
of the children every time they address
each other, and comprehcnds the whole
family in two words. He had his "stock'
in the barn, cattle Il horse and sheep, and
the hen poultry; and in the house they
had a cat, Fernando. A dog was to come
into the household and history, but as yet
they knew it not.
This is how they came by him.
One day there was an auction in the
village. Some family, about moving
away, took this method Of disposing Of
the multifarious articles not good enough
to be carried away, and too good, as they
thought, to be dcstroyed-a genuine
country auction.
To this auction went all the men in the
country round about, Of course for if
there is one thing which more delights
the heart of man than another, it is to 20
to an auction and the more worthless
the wares are, the moe they enjoy it and
the higher they bid.
To it went a man with a dog--a home
ly Scotch terrier That is, it is supposed
that there must have been q man, though
nobody remembered to have seen him, and
he never was heard Of afterward But
would a dog 90 alone a strange dog, |
mean, that had never been seen in these
parts before.
The Ensign was there; he was famous
for attending auctions, and he always had
50 many articles knocked off to him that
he had got into the way of going with his
ox,team to carry his property home. His
garnet was full Of things, and his sheds
and yards were cluttered with old farming
implements He was not a very tidy man,
but a good and kind one, which is better,
if we must choose.
On this occasion he kept bidding, and
the last thing which was struck of to him
was a cradle, for which there was no
longer any use in his house, for his grand.
children had outgrOwn cradles But the
old man said that it was the most bcauti.
al piece of furniture he ever saw in a
home; took it, hOisted ii to the top of his
load and was about starting off, when he
WIS attracted by crowd gathered around
something which lay on the ground, and
looking over the shoulders Of those near
est him-for he was the talest man in the
village, he saw wretChed dog, all muddy
and bloody and tangled, and with leg
broken. 1t was the very Scotch terrier
which some Of them had noticed wander
ing about alone, and he had been run
over and left in that pitiful and helpless
condition
Nobody seemed to care for him, except
to stare, out Of curiosity. II was not sym
pathy, and the dog knew it. He lay pant
ing and licking his wounds, but keeping
his eyes wide open, and looking, with a
good deal of perception in them, at the
faces about hun. One man proposed
killing him; another suggested throwing
him back somewhere and leaving him To
die There was hardly kind word for
him. except from a little shoemaker, who
knelt down on the ground beside him and
tried to wipe away the blood, and tender
ly examined the wound,
The Ensign pressed in among them,
and finding the dog seemed to have no
owner, said he would take care of him,
took him up in his arms as carefully as
he would a baby, carried him to the cart,
laid an old frocl in the cradle, and then
placed the dog il. and drove home.
Mother Jackman found no fault with
him for bringing home so much rubbish.
She was like the wife of Gudhrani: she
thought everything her husband did was
ilst right Still less would she object to
the dog, She made him bed with some
drugs on the Settle in the chimney cor.
ner first thing TWAS an old fashioned
house, where there was still left q wide
fire place IN the kitchen. and placed just
where It's occupants would bask in the
light and warmth of the generous fire,
was that quaint and comfortable piece OF
furniture called a "sette" painted red,
with a high straight back, and broad
roomy seat here two or three could sit.
There the dog was placed The cat, Fer
nandO always had one end; henccforth
the dog was to have the other. The old
couple did not need it, for each had a
bow backed rocklngchair
The Ensign splintcred the leg and ban.
daged ii, and left the rest, as he said, so
N2tur' And Nature, who is a wise
physician, in time healed the poor ami
ma though not SO efectually but he al
way. had q kind Of halt in his ga it,
The next thing was TO find out his
name His arm name was the best one
Tor Aip, Il one could only find out what
j Was 50 the Ensign tried him with all
ne could think Of beginning with Bose.
oa must have observed that whenever
man mas occasion to call strange dog.
nn.zg name be ID in ignorance OF, he In.
N. Nh says Bose WY ii should be
pose more than Watch or 'Tige,
on any other nsme by which dogs are
hih3En, Is mystery which you may e1.