Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-06-24

"Out damned spot."-Wm. S.
"Oh, where oh where is der leedle tog gone"
-Wattst-his- -naneS
Spot is dog. We mention this lest,
when you come to know his goodness and
intelligence, you may take him for an ed-
tor or insurance agent. Spot was born,
of poor but respectable parents. in Wilton.
under the shadow of old Mt. Blue. The
first we ever saw of him was in a box in
the express Office. and we don't want you,
dear reader, to let his humble beginnings
prejudice you against him. for greater than
he has slept in humber surroundings. He
was as tat as a butter.ball, as white as
driven snow. and goody withal to look
upon. He had to be sure, some of the
habits of puppyhood, which early es-
tranged Bridget toward him--and ma
liciously one day she pronounced him
"Spitz !" Notwithstanding he had moth
ing Spiz about him but his tail, he had to
struggle against the bad name thus early
bestowed upon him.
Beautiful to look upon though he was.
and amiable and altogether lovely, he
seemed the child of misfortune. One day
as in his growing youth he lay sleeping
near the doorstep, the Boy with talent
for laundering that is amazing, planted
number eleven boot-heel upon his hip,
and thencefolth and forever Spot set the
fashion of three-legged locomotion.
Then bad dog bit his other hind leg
and the toe-nail grew in, and he was
lame on that until doctor removed it,
the nail, we mean, not the foot. Spot
went through this painful and difficult op-
Grafton with a fortitude equal to the
emergency. and while strong women
paled. Spot licked the hand that held
him, and told US to write DR.. Hildreth a
puff. Then when the Boy with grass-
nook was moving a croquet ground,
Spot lost another toe--this time off fore
foot. The Boy says, the dog had no bus
mess to be moving with a grass-hook.
Perhaps not, but we always felt as though
the Boy was to blame. Spot is still lame.
Like good many lads and lasses whom
we know. Spots idea of living is to get
AS much enjoyment out of it as possible.
He thinks that sport is the whole aim of
life. and the funny-bone the chief end of
man. Never like ill-bred ours and wo-
men did he backbite and quarrel with
others, but he was always glad for lark
with anyldog or child, be he black or white
or clean or dirty. Perhaps he carried this
too iar--to our taste he did, to his own,
not far enough--tastes differ, YOU know.
He loved his master with love surpass-
ing The love of women. but his heart had
such capacity for loving that he loved
many others nearly as well. No one per
son could fill that big, loving heart.
He loved our kitten with love rival
ling the tirst-ove of sweet sixteen, and
he would lie for hours beside our calf
with an affection and assiduity pleasant to
behold. We cannot say he loved our
Gator il he did she never reciprocated
it. and chilled the demonstration of his
budding affections.
He was our counsellor, comfort and
| friend. He loved learning, and in every
way he could showed his countenance to
our institutions of education. He at
tended the High School punctually, until
he assured US he could speak dog-latin
| better than the teacher; and he would
sleep hour after hour upon our pile of ex-
changes till he was as iull of wisdom as a
greenback orator. Everybody knew him.
and in the language of Filz Green Hal
leck