Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-03


He's as clean as a new pin," re-
piled the barber, brushing away at the
little animals silky fleece. "You
ought to be as proud of him as moth
er is of her newborn baby. He's q
beauty, there's no mistake about that"
"Ah it's all very we'll for you that
haven't got him on your mind" said
the moody man, dejectedly; hes too
much of beauty for me-"
| Chow too much ="
| Three ounces too much. I should
be happy man if it wasn't for that
blessed three ounces. Hain't there no
how that you could get it off of him."
Couldn't possibly be done," return.
ed the barber, decidedly; couldn't be
done, Mr.. Wix. Of the two he has
been brought down too fine as it is. If
you go tampering with him, as sure as
eggs you'll undermine his constitution. :"
"Well, it's pretty state of things 7"
broke out the other, after few seconds
silent bordering on the BARRIERS last
words; "'pon my soul it's very pretty
thing that man is to have all the
'appiness haunted out of him just be-
cause a dawg-a dumb dawg, mind yer
cant be got to waste three ounces Of
his weight"
And he laughed a laugh which would
have been hollow, but for the bitter
ness in it.
"Nature is nature, Mr.. WIKI" re-
marked the little barber, soothingly.
GA dumb dawg, mind yer" Mr..
Wix repeated, as though it would have
been considerable mitigation of the
injury if the offending animal had been
endowed with the gift of speech; "and
yet by hook nor by crook can he be got
to part with that COMPOUNDED extra
three ounces, which would make such
difference to me, and which he no
more wants, sir, than the sea wants
rain-water."
And throwing down sixpence, he
wrapped the by this time finished an
imal in an old silk pocket-handkerchief,
and, thrusting it in at the bosom of his
waistcoat, stalked, muttering, out of the
shop.
By this time it was evident to me
that had been too hasty. From some
mysterious cause or other, the man ap-
peared to regard the valuable little dog
as an aff1iction rather than as 8 prize;
which he certainly would not have
done had he stolen it. And now that |
came to observe the barber more at
tentively, he was not in the least like
the oss-eyed, goblin-visaged person
Sweeney Todd was represented as be-
ing; on the contrary, he was rather a
pleasant-looking little man.
"There goes 8 poor fellow to be
pitied, SIR" he remarked as the door
closed on Mr.. Wix's retreating form
"he's got large family too. I hope he
won't be drove to drinking p
"What should drive him to drink
ing?" asked.
disappointment, sir. Buying a
goose warranted to lay golden eggs,
which turn out to be Brummagen gilt.
That, LII a manner of speaking, in his
case,' sir"
"But what's the matter with him %
Nothing the matter with him; it's
the dog that's the cause.-the innocent
cause, may say-of Mr.. Wix' S trouble.
You see it is the way sir. Mr.. Wix-
which he's heasy-chair maker, and
used to keep his dozen hands-is what
we call toy fancier; fancier of toy
dogs that is. There's lots of 'em about
here, and their meeting house Of
reg'ler show nights, on Sunday even
ings, is the Three Pigeons up the street.
It is reckoned kind of honor to be
chairman of the room, because, you
must know, that man can only oc-
cupy that post by virtue of his owning
the smallest and most elegant animal
present. Now it has been the same OBJ
ject of Mr.. Wix's life to get into that
chair. They do say that be broke up a
good home to raise enough to buy that
handsome little Maltese you saw me
titty-waiting just now, and he made
sure of the seat this time. But he's
got a rival MIR. Mossul, the tripe-
dresser up the street, he's toy fancier,
too, and he has held the chair at the
Pigeons for year or more. He's q
warm man, and not easy to turn when
once he sets his mind On anything
Well, sir. at the last moment, when
Mr.. Wix thought that victory was sure
when he mad acksholly made ready
bit of supper for the members in
honor of the occasion, buying the tripe
of Mossul himself and inviting him to
peck q bit-at the very last moment,
when everybody was congratulating
Wix on his pluck and spirit, why,
says Mossul, with that aggrawaiting
grin of his, if it was only quarter Of
a pound or SO lighter, it would be about
the same weight as this new little thing
of mine It was true too. Nobody
knows what he gave for it-forty SOW
ereigns I have heard-but he sent to
Brussels for it on purpose, and there it
was; and there Mossul was as firm fixed
to the chair as ever. It was q severe
blow for Mr.. Wix; he hasn't been the
same man since"
Further conversation put the little
barber and myself on quite friendly
terms. He confded to me that be too
was bit of a fancier, and owned toy
"Skye," for which he had refused its
weight in half crowns. eff you take
an interest in such things, sir" said he
'why not look in at the Three Pigeons
some Sunday evening Tomorrow
there will be good muster, and Mos
sui is almost sure to be there. You'll
find us select, and in com pany with