Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-02
POOR PRIN
A True Story.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "JoHN HALIFAX, GEN
TLEMAN."

By THE AUTHOR OF = JOHN HALIFAX, GEN
TLEMAN.
She is a very good woman, one of the
best women | have ever known in her
own-nay, in any rank of life. A "wo-
man" or Gladly" some inquisitive,
precocious young people may ask.
Well, / shall not attempt to decide the
mighty difference. All L can say is, that
have often sat at dinner with ''ladies, :"
Respondent In velvet and diamonds,
with whom [ would much less enjoy
spending an hour, for they have not one
half her intelligence, refinement of ma
ture or singleness of heart.
She told me the following story, quite
incidentally, one Sunday evening, when
she. her little girl-she is q widow-and
my own child were all sitting together,
amusing themselves with books and
games. Whether Sunday books and
Sunday games / cannot say, having
strong aversion to such distinctions, and
believing that those who earnestly desire
to sanctify the whole week need have no
fear of secularizing Sunday.
Therefore, coming suddenly into the
room, and finding the whole party
laughing together, I was not at all
scandalized, but pleased; considerably
amused, too, to see how, beside the
books and pictures, they had collected
around them quite congregation of ami
mails; four generations OF cats, from the
old grandmother-a beautiful and most
respectable Tabby-down to Tommy,
who was saved out of our last family of
families eve had nine kittens in two
days. because he was all black with two
white feet, likely to grow up as remarka-
BILE and demonIacal an animal as the cat
noted in the story of Mepbistopheles
and Faust" At present, however, he is
the most innocent of fat kittens almost
too fat to stand; for, when he tries to
balance himself on three legs, and wash
his face with the fourth, he invariably
topples over, to the great delight of the
children.
He was thus occupied, his mother
sedately watched him, his aunt ditto,
and his sister-it is possible to recoIlect
accurately their feline relationship
lying fast asleep In her favorite place of
repose, the broad back of old Rose.
Poor Old Rose once Young and thin as
her little mistress-the two are exactly
the same age. But dog life and human
a woman Rose will gave gone to another
dare I say the better ?-world. Will
she have another existence? / should
not like absolutely to decide. 'tNo."
Her nature, like many dog natures, will
bear contrasting with that of not few
human beings. Her faithfuluess, her
lovingness, are beyond telling; and
though she is now as broad almost as
she is long, not active, and anything but
beautiful, she is happy still; for she is
the pet of the house, and it is a common
saying that when she dies all the family
will go into mourning for Rose.
Poor old Rose She is not valuable
dog-only waif and stray. A laborers
wife, who had heard of our taking in a
foreign kitten; brought her to our door.
" Ma'am, can't afford to keep her, and
if you don't have her, [ shall just drown
her, like the kitten" So we took Rose
In too, and she and the white kitten, also
saved, became the best of friends to one
another, and the best of playfellows in
the nursery. [ can still see with shut
eyes the prettiest of pictures kitten,
dog and child, all asleep together before
the winter fire, the yellow hair lying on
Roses silky brown ears, and white pussy
she never had any other name-curleo
up close in the soft fat arms. Alas. poor
pussy size came to a premature end
from some mysterious poison; but Rose
lived and 1ourished, and has been amin
portant member of our family for nearly
eleven years. u
eyes" said the excellent woman of
whom I had spoken, ard whom I will
call Mrs. Jane, mo wonder you are all
80 fond of Rose. She is dear old dog.
so very gentle with children" Indeed,
there is tradition that once a baby's
hand was put right into her mouth. and
Rose never bitit y "She must have been
pretty dog once. with her spaniel ears
and soft spaniel eyes. Scotch terriers
are all the fashion now, but for my part
I always like spaniel. All, my poor
little Prin was a spaniel
"Who was Prin?" cried the eager
voice of Roses child mistress, always
ready to bear anything about animals,
and having an unlimited capacity of ma
ternl tenderness over all young and
helpless things.
Prln, my dear, was dog l had
when L was little girl about as old as
you. L loved him, oh, loved him -
Struck by the unwonted pathos of the
tone, / turned round and saw that Mrs.
James eyes were full of tears.
What sort of dog was hep
ga spaniel, as I said, but small-not
near as big as Rose. could carry him
in my arms long after he was puppy.
must have been about eleven when nv
grandfather gave him to me-"
"And did you have him many years 2"
was the child's inquiry. "Did he live
to be very old-or even as old as my
Rose 2"
sc No. he did o115ta uo11no