Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-07-09
GOOD FOR EVIL.
A MORAL FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

PEDRO began life under difficulties.
His mother did not move in good society.
1t may have been on account of her
color, for she was very black. 1t may
have been on account of her education
for she hadn't any worth speaking of.
1t may have been. because her mother or
her mothers mother or grandmother,
or ever so many great -grandmothers
didn't go into good society. They were
very common family of dogs, who
would lick the bones they ate, and make
noise with their mouths when they
drank.
Pedro was born in a barn; that was
against him. And it was a rag-dealer's
barn at that, and his first bed was a pile
of very smelly rags; and, as his mother
had five other little dogs of exactly his
age to look after, she couldn't wash and
dress hfm properly, Or tie his tail up in
papers to make i, curl gracefully, or do
any of those things that well-bred dog
mothers are in the habit of doing for
their dog babies.
Pedro opened his eyes one morning
and looked about him. What do you
think he sawP A big boy with a basket
and six stones in it. The boy took a
stone anG began tying it to Pedro's neck
with piece of cord. He did the same
thing TO al or rrdIo's brothers and Sis
tiers. Did Pedro think it stranger Not
bit of it-he was so young and igno-
rant that he thought that was what BOYS
and stones and cords were for. But
Pedro's mother, poor thing, she knew
what it all meant. She knew that of all
the diseases incident to puppyhood, boys
and stones, complicated with cords, was
the most fatal.
The boy took the basket to a bridge.
and lifting the puppies one by one, sent
them over the parapet-down-dow to
an anchorage at the bottom of the river
Pedro didn't like it. 1t made him dizzy
going down; the weight of the stone
made the cord cut his neck, and the
water was cold. He went straight tc
the bottom, and would have drowned
there like the rest if the cord had been
stronger; but the cord broke. Pedro
found out that he could swim; and he
made for tie shore. He was very cold
very wet, very much discouraged. HI
did not like to go back where thu
speckled-faced boy was; besides, hi
didn't know the way. So he made III
his mind he would set up for tramp
and started at once on his travels.
He was little fellow, but he grew
grew in spite of the kicks and cuffs tina
ne met, in spite of the stonings that bat
boys gave him, in spite of heing onl,
half ted; grew to be big, black, shagg,
dog, with a kind eye, and one of th
most friendly and wagiferous tails eve
knew. And couldn't he swimp H
just plowed right along in the water
steering himself with his shaggy tail
and winking and blinking at the waves
that in the sunlight winked and blinke
at him.
But he had no home-poor dog. H
slept in the by-ways and hedges, an
dropped in at wagon-sheds and crer
under roadside carts; and sometimes h
had to sleep in the great broad field
among the clover and daisies. He want
ed a home badly enough-every do
does. But nobody would take him il
He used to get driven off of premis,
with sticks and whips and stones. N,
body seemed to want him; and he woul
, have looked upon this world as a vel
hard world on dogs had he not seen, no
and then, some boys and girls that we
treated quite as badly as he was.
So things went on for two years.
was the close of summer. The golde
rod had begun to blossom on the roa
sides, and Pedro knew that frost wou
be along ere many weeks. He was in
seaside town, for he loved the ocean, al
he sat down on the beach to think hi1
self over. He was getting to be shiftles
He would wear burrs in his shaggy CO
for days and days; and when a dog q
to this point of shiftlessness he mt
q either turn over new leaf OF go to t
bad pretty rapidly.
He was getting almost miserable, wh
a gentleman passed by who seemed
well fed, so contented with himself a
the world, and so happy, that Pee
really cheered up and wished that he Il
" such man for n master; and when
little behind him came well-comb