The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-02-22

within 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 a rushlight burning in the
neck OF ginger beer bottle. There was an
empty saucepan in a CRATE without the fire.
Some tattered clothes were hanging on the
back OF broken chair, and some bits of
plaster, falling from cracked ceiling, were
encumberlng the floor. On the splintered
deal table was plate with solitary bone
on it, and next to it cup with the handle
gone. l turned from the sight of these
things to a mattress laid in the corner of
the room. The Light was rendered SO
tiIckering by the gusts of wind that swept
through the window-to which bits OF
newspaper had been pasted for want of
glass-that 1 could not at first distinguish
very clearly where 1 was, and what saw.
| could only hear the affectionate winnings
OF the dog, and vaguely see him leaping
upon some one against whom he was rub
bing his head, and whose face he was
licking with an exuberance of love- /
heard a voice, too-but voice so husky
and broken, that it resembled Whisper
repeat feebly, GOOD dog-good Jim !"
and then | saw hand unite the basket,
and heard the sound of money poured out on
the couch.
Good Jim good JIM" went on the
cracked voice; and it began counting,
"One, two. Oh, good Jim good Jim
here's shilling. One-and-threepence, one
and-ninepence, two shillings. Oh, good
dog! three and penny, three and"-But
here followed a terrified shrek.
who's that?" cried the man, covering
up the money with his sheet; and he look
ed at me, livid and haggard with the ague
of fever.
Don't be frightened" I said al am
come to do you no harm. | am friend. L
have followed your dog home, and I de-
sire to help you if you are in need"
lie seemed to be a man about fifty
for his hair was not all gray but the
CHASTITY hollowness of his cheeks the ema-
ciated condition of his body, and, above
all, the CLEAN Of disease in his burning
eyes, made him older than a man of ninety,
for they told more plainly than words
could have told that he had already one
foot within his grave
My tone and my appearance seemed to
reassure him but he continued to hide his
money.
:" am poor man, sir" he gasped,-
"a very poor man. l have nothing but
what my dog earns me, and that's moth
ing. He goes out to idle; and if he picks
up few pence here the man had a fit
of hectic coughing" if he picks up
few pence, sir, it's all he do pick up"
My heart ached, for guessed the truth.
Hes not an idle dog" | said. Has he
not earned you more than three shillings to-
day."
"Oh, no, sir-no, sir; it's threepence,"
protested the miser, trembling. It's three
pence-threepence, sir. Look and see."
And he held up three copper coins from
out Of his coverlet
You are very i'll, my man." said, ap-
preaching his mattress. :" You must let me
send you doctor"
"Oh sir, no, no; 1--we no money to
give them. Let me alone, please I'm not
ill; 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" observed !;
" shall he have this bone. He has earned it
WELL"
90 God o God Let that bone alone"
faltered the unhappy wretch, trying to rise
its my supper for tonight. Jim doesn't
want anything; he picks up plenty in the
streets. Oh, oh, shall starve if you give
him that bone"
81 will buy you something to eat" an
swered, taking up the bone, to which there
was no particle of flesh left. Here, Jim,'
said |, holding it out. But the animal, in
stead of accepting the bone, looked wistful-
y at his master to ask for leave.
"No, no, jim" painted the miser fearful
ly; and the dog turned away his head, re-
fusing to be enticed.
"How long have you been laid up like
this?" was my next question. l was sick
at heart.
"Ten weeks, sir; oh, ten weeks" groaned
the man, who had snatched the bone out of
my hand and thrust it under his pillow
ten weeks, and when / fell i'll, the dog went
out one day, and fetched me back penny
in his mouth. Since then, I bought him a
basket, and he goes out every day but he's
he's idle, sir-he's idle; he brings me
nothing to what he used to do when we
went out together. Yes-oh, yes-he's an
idle dog!"
But why prolong this dialogue? Is there
anything more depressing than the sight of
moral infrmity coupled with bodily disease?
This palsied miser was rich man at least
rich comparatively to his station. lie had
made himself a small fortune through the
intelligence Of his dog, and his sudden ILL
ness, instead of reducing him to poverty,
had, on the contrary, only added to his
means. The dog earned more alone than
he had ever earned with his master. Each
morning at the break of day, he went out
with his empty basket, and every night at
sunset he returned with it half full. learn
ed this from the miser's neighbors honest
people though poor, who pretended to be-
leve the fevered wretch's tales of want, in
order that he might not have cause to dread
them, and so refuse their necessary services.
There is a great deal of innate, unsuspect-
ed delicacy in the hearts of the working
poor. These rough and uncouth, but kindly
natures, tended the graceless miser in his
sickness. They bought his food for him,
they washed his linen, and they asked for
no payment for anything they did. As for
the unhappy mans gold, it was at their
mercy; but the thought of touching it
never seemed to cross their minds.
''Only," said one, with naive accent.
:" / think, sir, twill be better when he's laid
in the ground. His money would be good
then to some as would make use of it
And the dog 2" murmured rehectively
rha - Al L
bor's answer, = and he won't live long when
l.,