The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-12-19


Mary, almost wrlnging her apron cords
of.
"Eh, sure, MIN, l shan't get a wink
o. sleep tonight for thinking of them
wicked thieves who may come and
murder us all in our beds, and it's me-
self that's trlmbling all over" chimed
in Bridget. =
'Don't be ridiculous, cook; they're
only paltry thieves. I'll speak TO the
policeman; | dare say that he'll find
out all about the vagabonds."
Accordingly l introduced myself to
an intelligent member of the force
told him Of our trouble, and requested
his advice and assistance.
"What ain / to do? They'll come
again for more before long, lsuppose.'
The policeman nodded aflrmatively,
then he said solemnlY:
"Not if You have a dog, sir; them
sort of light thieves, that are not ex-
actly thieves, hate dogs like poison
worse than us policemen, even"
"But we have lost ours, and really |
have no time to go dog-hunting."
'tIf you're a-thinking of having ano-
Their dog, sir, why don't you go to the
Dogs Homer There's lots and lots of
'em there. cheap as dirt; it's pick and
choose, and glad to get 'em a new mas
ter"
"That's not a bad idea, policeman; l
never thought of that. bat had some
idea that was only a place where stray
dogs were taken to be owned or buried.
did not know they sold them"
"Oh yes, sir. There's an Act of Par
lament passed on purpose. When a
dogs took in it's kept three clear days,
some of them as many weeks, and all
the owner has 70 do is to claim hun,
and pay for hi. keep; If no one turns
up to claim him, he's sold for very lit
tie more than his BILL
"And the poor things that are nei-
Their claimed nor sold!" asked my wife
pitylngly.
"Oh, they are popped out of their
troubles in Il moment. But you go and
see them for yourself, sir; you'll find
it a queer sight, and one as will make
you think more of dogs than ever"
Itook the mans advice and a ticket
to York Road Station, Battersea Park.
The instant my fOotstep sounded on
the stones, and before they could see
me, Lne whole place became alive with
noise and clamor, and by some strange
freemasol.ry the arrival of a stranger
was instantly known and signalled
ficHm cage to cage. a possible master
or friend had come; at the very thought
over four hundred doggish voices were
raised in every variety of tone, yelling,
screaming, squeaking, barking, Pm
here, Pm here in prison; OH take me
home, or | shall choke. fret, die; Il
Pm the oneiyou've CONE for; | can not
get out!' This they said as plainly as
ever Sterne's startling said 1t.
AS I walked by some cried and
sobbed %piteously, other, shouted, bel
lowed, called; but almost all rushed
forward to yea sriff aud a glance at
the new co.'s r, and each eager face
looked into mine with n pitiful blank
expression that haunted me for hours.
1t may seem absurd, but v is not less
true, that those anxious, straiIjng eyes
all on the watch for some loYed or IA
| oiiliar face, touched me witha kfhd OF
dull pain, such as 1 have felt on look'
ing into those of a SICK chfldg longing
tor something | could noe give. 1T.
don't think / had even noticed the al
most human intelligence M a sdog's
eve before, but / have noted itDa great
many times since, and wchdered al
most uneasily at its dthAbshtonsity
As I wandered on past che compart-
ments in which the dogs We're Gassed
[ could not avoiG noticing the striking
differences N hper.a and character, as
well as of species; the small dogs came
Grst,and they of courstraIsed the loud
est outcry, being most of them mere
baby-dogs, and behaving as such; now
crying and whlmpering as though bro
k|en-hearted now laundering over eacf
other in a thoughtless frolic, little
needing the trouble of older dogs al
around.
1t was strange to watch how they
pushed and elbowed each other out OF
.thareach Of a friendly pat, and how
NM .lhsSA received a few woraso
'll nnnA. ).