Morris tribune., 1880-04-08
The Dog That Took a Slide.

Once there was a Jolly little boy
named Jim, who had big Newfound-
land dog that he called Major. He was
very black, curly, handsome dog, and
he loved fun as well as his master-and
his master loved it better than apples or
molasses candy. Major loved joke,
too-for once when he was trotting
along to the postofice with basket in
his mouth, as he had been taught to
do, for the mail, little snarling cur
ran out at him, barking with all his
might. He had bothered Major often
before, and this time the old fellow
dropped his basket and caught the little
cur right around the back in his great
mouth, picked him up and carried him
about ten rods, and dropped him. 1t
would have made you laugh to see that
little, saucy pup go bowling home,
with his tail Rugged tight between
his legs.
Well, one winter Jim used to coast
every day. The hill was just CLASSY,
and the sleds tipped down swift as an
arrow. Major went out with the boys,
and he could keep up with them very
we'll climbing the hill, but when they
started down they soon left him way
behind. He didn't like this at all, and
one night he waited outside while Jim
left his sled to go to supper. Jim had
been called as usual three times, once
by Maggie, the girl, who hollered:
Master jamie supper is ready, shure,
COON in to wannst P-once by his
mother, who said: "Jim mel come-to-
supper-this-minit! and last by his
father, who just said: "Jimr and
crooked his thumb toward the house in
a way that let Jim know something else
would crook if he didn't mind.
When his little master was stuffing
himself with baked potatoes and brown
bread, the dog took the rope in his teeth
and dragged the sled up the hill.
When he got to the top, he stopped,
turned the sled around, as he had seen
the boys do, and then began to look
as much as to say: Sought dog to
slide belly-bunt, or side-fashion, or sit
ting up?" He didn't know whether
to steer with his tail, or his fore-feet, or
his hind feet. But slide he must; and
so he jumped on, caught the rope in his
teeth and started down, letting the sled
steer itself, while he sat up and watched
the fun.
Down, down it went; Major hanging
on, but looking pretty well scared.
Just as the sled got near the "jounce"
at the bottom, going like a runaway
horse, Jim came out, and you never
saw boy so astonished. He puckered
up his mouth and let out an "O-h.h-h!"
as long as one OF the icicles on the
barn. The "jounce" threw Major of
heels over head in front of the sled,
and he got caught between the runners
and pushed into deep snow-drift, that
filed his mouth and eyes and ears full
and made him as white as a sheep all
over.
When Jim saw that Major wasn't
hurt he laughed and roared, and called
the dog into the back door where his
mother was and said:
Here's teller that's been running
away with my sled and coasting; and
the sled ran away with him, and busted
him good. I guess you'd better brush
him of, and see if his feet are wet, and
toast his shins before the CRATE, and tel
him he can't go out again tonight"
And when his mother found it wat
the dog she saw the joke and laughed
too, and let Jim stay out half hou1
later, and didn't tell him to "Be careful 7
and Don't get cold," and "Be sure that
you come in on timep and "Don't e
near the hill until you learn to steer,
over seventeen times. Wasn't she al
uncommonly good mamma?