The Owosso times., 1881-11-18

an old box for a pillow, and the faithful
Jack huddled up on his feet.
| Would the frost never come to al
end? 1t was all very we'll for ladies
wrapped in their warm sealskins ant
velvets to say what a healthy Winter
it was, and for young people with rosy
cheeks, as they looked out their skate.
and pulled on their thick gauntlets. Il
descant on the glories of 'fine frost;
Caleb and Jack taking their stan(
against the wall-sunshiny, alas! n,
lOnger-wOuld have told different
story. All, surely never did east winC
sweep down SO ruthlessly before, never
before did snOwstorm last SO long, never
before were streets so forlorn anC
empty of passers.by. Caleb and Jack
went home one terrible day at least on,
hour earlier than uIual-it was useless
waiting there any longer for aims
Caleb with one halfpenny in his hat
and that the gift of a poor frozen-oul
crossing sweeper who rightly judged
The old man TO be worse off than him
self.
Part of a loaf was all Caleb's food
that day. Eth, old dOggie, thou shalt
have thy bite of it, he said, feeding
Jack with crumbs in the hollow of his
hand. tor it's little enough thOu'lt find
Tor thyself in the CUTTERS Little
enough, indeed, anywhere, save snow
and ice; and Jack may hunt high and
Jack may hunt low, and thrust his
patient old nose into all sorts of odd
corners that seem to have faint scent
Of red herring or haddock, but there's
little enough of supper he'll get to-
night.
What was it made him so late on
this particular windy, frosty. snowy
afternoon? Had he lost himself in a
snow-driit? thought Caleb, setting
open wide his door and listening in
vain for the patter and scramble of the
four little feet up the now carpetless
stairs. Six, seven, eight o'clock came
and went, and still no sign of Jack and
Caleb crept to bed at last, shivering and
tOrlOrn and with sense of utter DESC
lation and loneliness at his heart which
he had never known before.
Frost, snow, sleet, east wind, went
on through the night and began again
with the dawn. Nay, but you're not
going out, friend?' said kindly old
body, meeting Caleb on the stairs as
the old man wearily and slowly was
feeling his way down, 'There'll not be
a soul in the streets with a penny to
spare; you'll not get your bread that
way to-day
its my Jack I'm going to look for
today said the old man, mot my
bread; it may be he lost his way in the
snow last night and he's waiting for
me now in the old place by the wall.
Give me hand. neighbor, and help me
along a bit, will YEP So the woman
helped him along to the wall, through
the biting wind and snow, but no sign
of Jack when they got there.
We'll try the bakers shop said Ca
leb, thinking IF their old haunts, and
whether it were possible that the bak-
er's wife, who sometimes threw Jack a
broken biscuit, had taken him in. out
of pity, for the night.
AID while they were in the shop
asking after the dog, there came in two
children who had a strange story to
tell, story which froze Caleb's blood
in his veins as he stood and listened.
They had seen dog, dog for all the
world as like Jack as could be, being
led along the day before by two men
who came out of a public house, and
who talked and laughed loudly as they
went along. One said, 1T doesn't do
to be too tender-hearted in these hard
times; human flesh and blood reckons
before dogs flesh and blood any day in
the week. Said the other, And the
doctor will give us a good 'arf-crown
for him safe enough and ask no ques-
ti0ns into the bargain
Caleb trembled from head to foot.
Take me to his house, he said in a
voice that startled the children, for it
vibrated and twanged like any old
harpsichord with all the music gone
out of it. .-....
At the doctors door the two children
left him standing on the doorstep, they
themselves running away and peeping
at him round the corner Of the street.
A man-servant answered Caleb's ring.
My dogr said the old blind man in the
same harsh trembling voice; what
have you done with himp He's white.
haired like me, and thin like Inc; you
can count every rib in his body
Ugh. how cold it wash The east
wind and sleeL blew in the serva t.
face, and how could he be expected t.
stand there talking with an old blind
man on the doorstep? He half shut
the door. Your dog. old mani h,
said; we know nothing about dog'
here He would have shut the door III
Caleb's face, but the old man was toe
quick for him, and had put his sticb
across the threshold. MY dogp he re
peated, louder aud louder; white hair
ed, thin like me; you could count ever.
rib he hadr ~ 49,
A gentleman was coming down stair
ut this moment. He was dressed in tn,
glossiest of black with the whitest o
ties. He had cleaning smile, thicl
square jaw and eyes that change a
you looked at them. what is it P h
said TRANQUILITY, coming toward the door
Does the man want money! / do no
like a disturbance on my doorstep. 4
dog, did you say--white-haired-thiI
Oh yes. had him with two colleys yes
terday afternoon. The brutel he wa
not worth the money paid for him; b
howled so we had to cut his windpip
before we could do anything with hin
wouldn't have had him If coul
have got third colley; they are s