Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-04-18
THE MAN WITH A BRINDLE
DOG.
WITH VARIATIONS.

His shoes were badly run down at
the heels, his coat had more rents
than modern real estate agency, and
his pantaloons were more dishonored
in the breach than in the perseverance.
His vest was not bad looking gar
ment, hnt seemed decidedly ashamed
of the company it was forced to keep,
and despite the polite injunction to
keep that part of oar apparel ''pulled
down. it tried its best to crawl up
and hide behind his wretched carl
catnre of coat.
He seemed brayely defiant of the
mandates Of fashion, and wore a turn
down collar that hadn't graced the
grip of a washerwoman for six mortal
weeks. The starch had long since
left it in disgust; one butt on-hole
had made an assignment, leaving that
collar to dangle round his neck at its
own sweet will, and accept whatever
situation circumstances, in the shape
of protesting coat collar and rude
March wind, thrust upon it. His hat
was an old slouch, arrived at that
exact point of DEGRADATION where
nothing worse can beiaIl it. Reader,
you may have seen such a hat. A
hat of this description never wears
out. II merely passes through various
gradatiops of inferiority to point
beyond which it can't budge-wlIich
language cannotdepict, and which,
to be fully appreciated, must be felt.
There is vast deal Of humanity in q
hat if You can rightly understand it.
1t has language of its own, and is
always ready to tell you about its
owner if you will but give it atten-
ton. Ladies' hats are exceptions to
the rule, or rather they rule out the
exception. The sex are privileged in
all things. But we d.gress.
This man was leading dog the
color of gingcr-bread-the kind you
used to get when you was hoy. :.
) The appearance of the Cog was de-
1
cidcdly unprepossessing. He was
not noble, nice looking dog. Fan
from it. No timid, delicate female,
unless her eyes were badly crossed,
would neglect her children to stroke
his back and caress him with pet
names. That dogs appreciation oi
pet names was wott4ly small. They
hna never been applied to him He
liked bones better. Indeed he had
been iattened on bones and boot
lacks. He never went back on a
bone. He could tell one at sight, a
any range from ten TO 4 thousand
yards. When they ceased to interes
him he always buried them for future
reference. How strange that ami nal'
without reason can't teach Us impor'
tant truths. Initiate the acqnisit.s-
ness Of the canine, O .dan, and you
] will always krennt of sight of the
Dor house. But we wander.
1 Around the dogs neck and leading
to the mans hand was strap--or
| the remains of one. Its day ofuse-
|fulness was we'll nigh DER 1t had
been a step-iathei to a large family of
/ |insubordinatc boys, and amid all the
|vicissitudes of life it will ever have a
place in :heir remembrance. 1t can
never bc forgotten. And though the
kindest and most sacred memories
NAV not cluster about it, its all the
same to the strap. 1t performed its
duty according to the light, or weight
which ilnpelled it, and if anathemas
are heaped upon it, the strap can't
help it. 1t always obeyed orders and
went with unerring precision to the
pot where it was directed. What a
esson this, to apprentices: ''Ohey
orders if YOU break owners. But
Etraps are more dutiful than boy s.
= noise except when the
; : & boys come together and
- voices tremendously.
= strap began business
in linSnle of q