The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-04-16
TROMPSON'S DOG JERRY.

Die, on the banks OF the TOmbigbe
river, there lived an old PLANTER name.
Thompson. Mr.. Thompson was grea
lover of horses and dogs, particular,
the latter, and his plantation was head
quarters for the lovers of the canin
race for miles around. Mr.. Thompson
had son named William we will cal
him Bill, because everybody called hin
by that name.
Bill was about fourteen years of age
when the war broke out, and it inter
fered with his fathers plans concerning
his education. However, the wal
ended, and he was sent to finish his
stodies at the University of Virginia
Bill remained at the university fol
about four years, and at the expiration
OF that time returned to his home
The old gentleman was very proud oi
Bll-lndeed he had reason to be. He
had grown to be tall, elegantly formed
man, OF graceful manners and genteel
appearance.
In his joy at his sons return, Mr.,
Thompson had provided an elegant re.
past, and the elite of society were in.
vited to welcome Bill home. The
entertainment was numerously at
tended, and the occasion promised to
be the one of the season, for the old
gentleman and Bill were really great
favorites. The old mansion was
thronged with youth and beauty, and
to the merry music of the dance the
hours glided swiftly away.
Bill was congratulated over and over:
but the many congratulations he re.
celved occasioned the drinking of more
whisky than he could carry. and his
part of the reception was brought to a
close by his getting helplessly drunk,
IN which condition he was found by his
father, under one of the tables,
The cid gentleman, however, smoth-
cred his resentment, taking into con-
slderation that this might have been an
accident, and that it would not again
occur but his hope was destined soon
TO be dlspelled, for as other fetes fol-
lowed at other places, it was found that
Bill was too fond of whisky and that he
regularly came to grief at each enter
tainment.
Mr.. Thompson was not a man to
very long tolerate such action on his
sons part and one morning, after one
OF Bills excesses, he spoke to him con-
cerning the matter. Bill could not
deny it, and there was poor chance
for an apology. The old gentleman
became enraged at Bills silence. and
thus addressed him: "Bill, I have
raised you up as carefully as ever a.
child was raised. You have disgraced
me and my name I had fondly hoped
You would be an honor to me and it.
<F Lns
main here If you want to, and this may
be your home. You can have a horse
to ride and / will clothe you decently !;
but, he added with great emphasis,
you shall not hereafter get drunk,
you shall either earn your money or
steal II.
1t was in vain that Bill tried to apollo
gize. The old gentleman would take
no apology. The fat had gone forth,
and however dry his throat might be.
Bill knew there would be no retrac-
tion Of his fathers words, So he
concluded to be temperance man, but
as is usual III such cases, though "the
spirit was willing, the flesh was weak.
Bills throat soon became very dry
and annoying, and at last he made up
his mind that he must calculate upon
some plan whereby he could get drink
of whisky.
In some Of his readings Bill remem-
bered the fable of "The Wise Dogs"
and determined to profit by it. Meet
ing his father one evening, about
month after he had received the pre-
ceding lecture, he thus addressed him:
Father, do you know anything about
this colony of Yankees down here at
the mouth of the river ?"
No, don't" was the reply, and a
gruff one too, for the old man didn't
like the Yankees and didn't care to
hear anything about them.
Well, father, they must be queer
lot. They have got schools down
there.
'sYes, " thundered his father, schools
for niggers. :
Well, replied Bill, g lets give the
devil his due; they teach white children
"Yes, said the old man. g they teach
lles-thsy teach them lies.
Well, ] suppose they do,' replied
BILL, but what was going to speak
of Is that they have got q school for
dogs
"a school for dogsl They teach dogs
to talk +"
Come now, Bill, if You are fool
enough to believe such stuff, don't try
to make as big a fool OF me Teach
dogs to talk They may teach them to
steal--I shouldn't wonder il they did.
but don't tell me about this teaching
dogs TO talk
Well, now, father, respect every
word you say, replied Bill, but / ann
bound as gentleman to believe what
gentlemen say and I have heard sev.
eaal talking about it. Really, I know
nothing Of the facts; but, as / said, I
heard several speaking about it, and
believe 1t. ] was down town the other
day and your dog Jerry was with me,
and o gentleman from Tennessee
noticed him as we were speaking of the
school. I asked him how long it would
take for. q dog like Jerry to learn to
talk, and he said dog as knowing as
Jerry would learn in two months.
Some dogs will learn in three months,
and he said good many never would
learn. !"
Bills praises of Jerry did NOT go un
noticed. IL there was any one thing
that the old gentleman fully believed,
it was that there was never another dog
that knew as much as Jerry.
The conversation for this time ter
minated, but Bill somehow felt that his
father would mention the subject again,
and he was not mistaken
A few daYs after the above dialogue