The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-04-24

,oamtt ,uSa

Ohs lht Hglg dog erled two Young
g1ls vho were carrying bome clothes
from the wash
on lAl ugiy brute. .bontcd o carter.
aHj be gave DIS whip a laud crack to.
ulgbten Mm. But the dog took uo heed
oltbem. He sa patiently 90, only stop
ping af the crossings when there were too
many carriages for him 10 pass, but not
seeming to busy himself At all s. TO what
people .ajd OF what they thought about
him.
He ran OF 50 for a long WAY.
NO doubt Of 81. he was au ugly dog
he was lean AVID srraggy Ills coat was
1t a dirty ggay color. and ia many places
the hair was worn OF ia patches Meth
er were there ans tokens that be bad ever
been a handsome dog, and liat his pres.
eut state ot wrcichedness was owing
merely 90 sudden misfortune Tie looked
ou the contrary, as though he bad always
been an so fed dog, having dcsullory
habits. no home TO 90 70, and seldom any
thing better 20 eat than \ chance bone
or crust picked up ia The gutter. Yes,
/ he was certainly miserable dog.
( But | wondered TO see him ruu so OBJ
stinatcly Ia the middle Of the road, when
there was room Ia plenty for him on the
pavement He was a small dog, and by
uotting close under the shop-fronts be
could have slipped unnotieed through the
crowd, and not have exposed himself to
/ be ran over by The cabs and whipped by
/ the carriers But no; be preferred the
road where the mud was, and he ran
straight before him, without looking right
or left, iust exactly as if be knew his
way.
! might have paid 40 more attention to
/ this dog, foe there are enough Of whom
take no notice; but | observed that he
had collar round his neck and that 10
/ tbi, collar was attached Il basket. This
set the thinking; for a dog who carries a
basket IS either dog sent ont on an err
and, or a runaway dog who has left his
master, and does not know where TO go.
Now which could This one be? If he
was q dog that ran on errands, why did
not BIZ owners feed him better, so that
/ his ribs should look less spare? Bat il he
was a dog who had left his master, and
run away into the world to face care and
trouble alone, what hardships or what
crueties had he had to suffer, that he
should have taken such a step in despair?
/ | felt | should like TO have these questions
answered, for there was something of
mystery IN them; therefore followed
the dog
We were in Oxford Street, in that part
|of it which lies between the Marble Arch
aud Duke Street, and the dog was run
ming in the direction Of the Regent Cir
Gus. It was dull wet day in winter;
( the rain had been falling. A gray fog
was spreading its vapors along the road,
aud every one looked cold and uncom-
Portable. a few shops were being light
ed up here and there, for evening was
setting in. But the contrast between the
glare of the gas and the occasional glow
Of the red coal fires burning cheerily in
the CRATES of ground-iloor parlors, only
served to make the streets seem more
dark and drcary. Aud yet the dog went
patteiing on, going at a sort of quick jog
trot pace, keeping his ears always down,
aud paying no attention either TO the om-
nibuscs that rolled by him, the eoster.
mongers who sworc az him, OF the other
dogs who stopped at times with q puzzled
air, and gazcd at him with silent wonder.
had to step out lastto keep up with him.
It is astonishing how that squalid dog
could rot. was afraid more than once
that he would distance me, but, thanks
70 the knack he had OF always Keeping to
the middle Of the road | wa. prevented
from losing sight of him We pas.ed
North AHdleg Street, after that Dnke ST.
and wc then came opposite small street
which forms "a very narrow and dirty
tharoaghiarc at the end which Is nearest
Oxford street Here the dog paused for
q moment and appeared 10 hesitate as 10
what be should do. Tie made lew steps
forward then rcecded but, finally,
seemed to make up hi, mind AID entered
the street, stli rotting There was no
one there. The dim drilling rain, which
had begun 10 flll again, the cold, aud the
fog had an scared away the habitual fre.
queutcfs of the one or TWO sordid cook
shops that liHe both sides OF the way.
There wa. only ras-aud.boue man sort
ing broken bottles al bis door aud eouRh-
ing whceziIy from Old age and misery
The dog went op, The street grows
wider as one proceeds, aud the honscs also
became better and cleaner. ! asked my
self hethcr the dog could possibly haye
his home about here, aud whether hc
would moi suddenly disappear down au
area, ii which ease the romance Of The
,hing maa,B have hean ended, aud
sl4aail have bad my walk for uo,hlag
Bat uo. aa turned abruptly OF 81 new
. aua. after q fe@ ,ee9udsoi th, same sp.
parent hesitation before, .iacaeued hi.
pace aud stepped opposite public
hua
s meW, j. newer quite empty IhefJ
ace always grooms lJaHng about m door,
tsas. nr .faHia.It4s-. gtffsy fu aftd ana ,3I