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

bolted suddenly up narrow side street,
where there was no room for cab to
pass. l paid tho driver, and jumped
out 1t was a filthy street, but that was
n secondary matter Where the dog
went ! would go; and thus lodged af-
ter him, first down crooked alley,
then through foul court, and lastly up
passage where it was pitch dark. Here
l groped my way along damp wall,
and stumbled upon the first step of a
staircase. Being smoker, however, l
had some vesuvians about me. j struck
one, lit n piece OF twisted paper with
it, and, by moments fame thus OBJ
tanned, deserted the dog making his
way up a creaky flight of wooden stairs,
battered in places and rotting from
mold. He barked when ne saw the
light, and growled uneasily But l
softened my voice. and cried out, "Good
dog good dog T. trying thereby to ap-
pease him. suppose his instinct told
him that l was an enemy, for he turned
round to sniff my trousers, and when |
struck n second vesuvian he consented
TO my accompanying him without doing
anything else but continue his smiling
We went up three stories in this way,
until we reached the garret-Hoor
There were two doors face to face, and
one Of them had latch with piece of
string tied to it. The string dangled
with loop at its end to within q few
inches of the ground The dog raised
one of his forepaws, pressed it on the
loop, and by this means opened the
door. We both walked in together.
There was arushlight burning in the
neck OF ginger bottle. There was an
empty saucepan in n crate without n
fire. Some tattered clothes were hang
ing on the back of n broken chair, and
some bits of plaster, fallen from crack
ed ceiling, were encumbering the floor.
On the splintered deal table was a plate
with solitary bone on it, and next to
it cup with the handle gone. turn
ed from the sight of these things to a
mattress laid in the corner of the room.
The light was rendered SO flickering by
the gusts of wind that swept through
the window-to which bits of newspaper
had been pasted for want OF glass--t that
I could not at first distinguish very
clearly where l was, and what l saw.
l could only hear the afiectionate whin-
ings of the dog, and vaguely see him
leaping upon some one against whom he
was rubbing his head, and whose face he
was licking with an exuberance of love.
| heard n voice, too--but voice SO
husky and broken, that it resembled q
whisper-repeat feebly. Good dog
good Jim - and then / saw.a hand un-
tie the basket. and heard the sound of
money poured out on the couch.
Good Jim good Jim y went on
the cracked voice; and it began count
ing. Zone, two. Oh good Jim !
good jim here's shilling. One-and-
threepence, one-and- two
shillings. Oh, good dog three-and-a-
penny. three and" But here follow
ed terrified shrek.
"Who's that p cried the man, Gov
ering up the money with is sheet, and
he looked at me, li,id and haggard with
the ague OF fever.
Don't be frightened" I said; 4"
am come to do you no harm. l am q
friend. l have followed your dog home,
and desire TO help you if you are in
need
He seemed to be a man about fifty,
for his hair was not all gray; but the
ghastlv hollowness of his cheeks, the
emaciated condition OF his body, and,
above all, the gleam of disease IN his
burning eyes, made him older than
man of ninety, for they told more
plainly than words could have told
that he had already one foot within his
grave.
Ny tone and my appearance seemed
to reassure him. but he continued to
hide his money.
81 am a poor man, SIR" he gasped-
"a very poor man. have nothing but
what my dog earns me, and that's moth
ing. He goes out to idle; and If he
picks up a few pence" (here the man
had fit of hectic coughing)-'lf he
picks up few pence, sir, it's all he dc
pick up"
felt my heart ache, for guessed the
truth.
"He's not an idle dog" Isaid. " Has
he not earned you moe than three shil-
lings today"
"Oh no, sir-no sir; it's three
pence - protested the miser, trembling.
Observation-Disclosures, sir. Look
and see.
And he held up three copper coins
1 from out of his covering.
"You are very i'll, my man." 1 said,
approaching his mattress. You must
/ let me send you doctor.
ooh, sir mo, no; I've no money to
give him. Let me alone, please. Tn
not Ill; l shall be well tomorrow. It's
nothing but a cold-a-a cold.
His dog was continuing to lick his
face remembered that the poor brute
had not eaten.
Your dog must be hungry. OBJ
served; "shall / give him this bone
He has earned it well.
"Oh, God oh, God Let that bone
alone" faltered the unhappy wretch
trying to rise "it's my supper for to-
night. jim doesn't want anything; be
/ picks up plenty in the streets. Oh =
| oh I shall starye if you give him thai
/ bone
81 will buy you something to eat"
answered, taking up the bone, to which
there was no particle of flesh left
"Here, Jim," said /, holding it out
But the dog, instead OF accepting the
bone, looked wlstfully at his master u
ask for leave.
"No no !, Jim," painted the misel
fearfully, and the dog turned away his
head, refusing to be enticed.
"How long have you been laid NJ
like this p was my next question.
was growing sick at heart.
"1en weeks, sir-oh ten weeks,
groaned the man-who had caught th'
bone out of my hand and thrust it undel
his pillow-"ten weeks and when
fell IL, the dog went out one morning
and brought me back a penny in hi
mouth. Since then, I bought him I
| Lnrlrnt and ha oroas ont ayery daY huI