Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-01
The Leisure Hour.
OUR UGLY DOG.

Our ugly dog came TO us, one morning,
like the McDonala's baby
"out Of the everywhere into here"
And, similarly, the first thing he did was
to howl to the full extent of his capacity,
which was great. The first thing we knew
of him he was sitting upon the door-steps,
a disconnected fact, and filling the air with
his lamentations.
The captain went out TO see what manner
of dog this might be, for we well knew
that it was neither of our own, seeing that
Fluff, the Maltese terrier, was curled up on
the sofa, and Ban, the Newfoundland, was
lying on the rug. A exclamation from the
captain summoned us TO the piazza, and
there, for the first time, we saw "our ugly
dog"
There was nothing about him to indicate
the important part he was alterward to play
in our family history. He was a big dog,
of no breed in particular, but, rather, as it
seemed, of all races in general. The shape
of his bead and his blunt muzzle seemed TO
indicate bulldog stripe among the many
bars sinister of his scutcheon; but then he
had lop ears, with thin, scanty fringe,
which dimly suggested spaniel. He was
neither smooth, nor shaggy, nor rough !;
but his coat resembled an old door-mat
worn out in spots. He was hort-bodied
and long-legged, and his half tail, which
malice or accident had left him, was, like
his ears, thnly frnged with coarse, long
hair. AS TO his color, the groundwork
see med TO be dirty, yellowish white, irreg-
ularly spotted with patches of faded NAL
tese-cat color, and he was also "ticked"
here and there with pea spots of dull yell
low. His one eye, for he bad lost the other,
was his one good point, being like a deer
hounds in color and expression. He was
thin To starvation-point; he was dirty, and
gled, and disconsolate, TO the last de-
gree which dog nature can endure; and
apparently he had made up his mind that
all hope was gone, and he had taken his
place on our door.steps TO sing his own
despairing dirge.
M sooner, however, did he behold the
whole family about him, than he lifted him
self on his hind legs, and began to beg.
howling mournfully all the time. Fluff
gave a little Selp of disgust, turned short
round and went into the house, evidently
unable to endure the sight of SO much vul-
garity and distress. Ban, who scorned to
never rapid in adopting any resolution,
stood staring in establishment at the sight
of dog on his hind legs.
"In the name of goodness" said the cap
tain, "give the creature something to eat p
OF course, something was produced and
when the stranger had in some degree sat
islied his hunger, he testified, in every way
which dog could, his intense thankful
ness.
~ suppose we shall have this beast added
to our family managerie, now," said /.
"He doesn't belong in the village, ior
think Pm generally acquainted with all
dogs in the place."
"Of couise, we can't keep him." said the
captain. at would be too much to have
he has rested a little"
OF course the ugly dog did not trot oil,
and, though we declared, every day, that
we could not have him, almost equally, of
course, he became member of the family.
At first he insinuated himself into the shed,
here Ban gave him share of his own
quarters then he modestly and humbly
took up corner in the kitchen, and then
followed the little boys into the parlor,
bringing in his mouth Charley's gloves,
which had been dropped in the yard and,
in the course of few days, "the ugly dog"
had established an equal right with Ban
and the cats. He was n knowing creature,
and could fetch and carry, as well as beg.
He was irrepIoachable in dog morals, ana
his soul seemed 10 overflow with affection
for every member of the family; even for
little arrogant and contemptuous Fluff, who
barked himself faint the first time the
stranger came into the house, and omitted
no opportunity TO show his own superiori-
ty to the ugly dog, who could have swal-
lowed him like a pill.
No one in the place knew anything about
tn @ creature, and we guessed that he had
stra yed away from travelling caravan
which had passed through the place few
days before. In week ''the ugly dog
had become a favorte with all, from the
master of the house down TO the cat and
the three kittens, who contracted habit OF
sitting on him, liberty which he seemed
in no wise to resent. His very ugliness
was a sort of recommendation. No one
else had such very ugly dog, and he was
so meek, and grateful and loving, that no
one not constitutionally averse to dogs
could have resisted his advances.
A few days after he came, heard that an
old friend of ours was visiting at rela-
tion's in Galoosa, place about fourteen
miles from the little settlement of Mays
vile. where our lot had been cast for the
last few years. was anxious to see Mrs
St. Clair, and to hear news of our friends
in New York, but there seemed to he diff
ficulty in getting to Galoosa.
One of our horses happened to be lame
and the other, though peaceable enough in
double harness, was apt TO be skittish and
ill-cond ucted when driven alone. 1t was
| quite impossible for the captain t. leave
his business at that time, and II seemed that