National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-02-07
Az UGLY DOS.

"Splish-splash, went that wretched
dog through the mud, his ears hanging
down and his tail between his legs.
"Oh the ugly dog" cried two young
girls who were carrying home clothes
IRON the wash.
"Ohl the ugly brute!" shouted n car
ter; and he gave his whip q I'D crack
to frighten him. But the dJg took no
heed Of them. He ran patiently on,
only stopping ut the crossings when
there were too many carriages for him
to pass, but not seeming to busy him-
self at all as to what people said, or
what they thought about him.
lie ran on SO for a long way.
No doubt of it, he Was an ugly dog.
He was lean and scraggy. His coat
was Of dirty gray color, and in many
places The hair was worn off in patches
Neither was there any tokens that he
had ever been handsome dog, and
that his present state Of wretchedness
was owing merely to sudden misfortune.
He looked, on the contrary, rs though
he had always been an ill-fcd dog, hav-
ing desultory habits, no home to go to-
anI seldom anything better to eat than
the gutter. Yes, he was certainly a
miserable dog.
But | wondered to see him run so oh
stiaately in the middle of the road,
when there was room in plenty for him
on the pavement. He was small dog,
and by trotting close under the shop
fronts he could have slipped unnoticed
through the crowd, and not have ex-
posed himself to be run over by the
cabs and whipped by the carters. But
10; he preferred the road where the
mud was, and he ran straight before
him, without looking right or left, just
exactly as if he knew his way.
might have paid no more attention
to this dog, for there are enough Of
which take no notice; but | observed
that he had collar round his neck, and
that to his collar was attached basket.
This set me thinking; for a dog that
carries n basket is either dog sent ont
on an errand, or a runaway dog that has
lett has master, and does not know
where to go. Now which could this one
be? If he was dog that ran on err
rands, why did not his owners feed him
better, so that his ribs should look less
spare. But If lie was a dog that had
left his master, and run away into the
world to face care and trouble alone,
what hardships or what cruelties had he
had to suffer, that he should have taken
such step in despair? / felt / should
Ike to have these questions answered,
Tor there was something OF mystery in
them; | therefore followed the strange
dog.
We were in Oxford street, in that
part of which lies between the Marble
Arch and Duke street, and the dog was
running IN the direction of the Regent
circus. 1t was dull wet day III win
Ter; the rain had been falling. A gray
log was spreading its vapors along the
road and every one looked cold and I'M
comfortable. A few shops were being
AGhted up here and there, for evening
was setting in. But the contrast be-
tween the glare Of the gas and the oc.
cASlonal glow of the red coal fires burn
ing cheeriIy in the CRATES of ground-hoor
P"fiors, ony y served to make the streets
seem more dark and dreary. And yet
'"' oog went pattering on, going at q
NorI OF quick iog-trot pace, keeping his
eaf' Always down, and paying no atten-
Ion either to the omnibuses that rolled
y MN, the costermongers who swore
at MN, or the other dogs which stopped
at ilmes with puzzled air, and gazed
az nm with silent wonder. l had to
a'ep ont fast to keep up with him. 1t
was astonishing how that squalid dog
.pui1 trot. / was afraid more than once
.nat ne would distance me, but, thanks
W 'ne knack he had of always keeping