The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-10
AN uGLY poa.

tAN tVhl bVut
"splish-splash, went tAatwretched
dog through the mud, his cars hanging
down and his tail between his legs.
"ohl the ugly dogl" cried two young
girls who were carrying home clothes
from the wash.
"ohl the ugly brutel' shouteda a car
ter; and he give his whip loud crack
to frighten him. But the dog took no
heed df them. He ran patiently on,
only stopping at the crossings when
there were too many carriages for him
top pass, but not seeming to busy him
self at all as to what people said, or
what they thought about him.
He ran on so for q long way.
No doubt Of it, he was an ugly dog.
He was lean and scraggy. His coat
was Of q dirty gray color, and in many
places the hair was worn of in patches.
Neither was thore any tokens that he
had ever been handsome dog, and
that his present state Of wretchedness
was owing merely tosudden misfortune.
He looked, on the contrary, as though
he had always been an ill-fed dog, hay-
ing desultory labits, no home TO 60 to,
anl seldom anything better to eat than
ashance bone or crust picked up in
the gutter. Yes, he was certainly.a
miserable dog.
But / wondered to see him run so OBJ
stinately 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
no; he preferred the road where the
mud was, and he ran straight before
him, without looking right or left, Just
exaetlyas II he knew his way.
I 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 mo thinking; for q dog that
carries basket is either u dog sent out
on an errtnd, or q runaway dog thathas
left his master, and does not know
where TO go. Now which could this one
be? II he was dog that ran on er-
rands, why did not his owners feed him
better, so that his ribs should look less
spare. But II lie was q dog that had
left his master, and run away into the
world TO face care and trouble alone,
what hardships or what cruelties hadhe
had to suffer, TINT lie should have taken
such step in despair? 1 felt should
like to have these questions answered,
for there was something Of mystery in
them; I therefore followed the strange
dog.
We were in Oxford street, in that
part Of which lies between tile Marble
Arch and Duke street, and the dog was
running in the direction Of the Regent
Gircus, II was o dull wet day in vim
ter; the rain had been falling. A gray
fog was spreading It's yapors along the
road, and every one looked cold and un-
comfortable. A few shops were being
lighted up hero and there, for evening
was setting in. But the contrast be.
tween the glare Of the gus and the oc.
casional glow Of the red coal fires burn
ing eheerily inthegrates of ground.Aoor
parlors, only served to make the streets
seem more dark and dreary. And yet
the dog went pattering on, going al a
sort Of quick iog.trot pace, keeping his
cars always down, and paying no atten-
ton either to the omnibuses That rolled
by him, the costermongers who swore
at him, or the ether dogswhich stopped
at times with apuzzled air, and gazed
ut him with silent wonder. / had TO
step out fast tokeep up with him. II
was astonishing how that squhlid dog
could trot. Twas afraid more tkan once
that he would distance me, but, thanks
to tho lnack he had OF always keeping
TO the middle OF the road, l was pre-
vented from losing sight OF him. We
passed North Audley stlcet, after tllat
Duke street, and we thencaine opposite
small street which forms very mar.
row and dirty thoroughfare at the end
which is nearest oxford atreet. Here
the dog paused for q moment and mp.
peared to hesitate as To what he should
do. He made n few steps forward, then
roceded; but, finally, seemed to make
up his mind and entered the street, still
trotting. There was no ono there. The
dim drizsRng rain, which had begun 10
fall again, tho cold, and the fog had oil
scared away the habitual freq,lenters Of
one or two sordid cookshops that line
both sides Of the way. There was only
o rag-and.bono.nan sorting bottles az
his door and coughing whoezily from
old age and misery, Tho dog went on.
The street grows wider RSone proceeds,
and the houses also became better and
cleaner. / asked myself whether the
dog ceull possibly have his home here,
and whether he would not suddenly dis