The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-04-16
(From the New York Evening Mall
A COUNTRY BOYS DOG.
BY A. V. LEAVITT.

country boy, I had long wished for the
congenlal companionship of a dog, to
share my small joys and my smaller sor-
rows. In my wanderings over the hills
and INTO the woods after nuts, or berries,
or flowers, | needed but the society of a
little smiling, painting, tail-wagging fol-
lower to complete my innocent content
Had L been IN possession of kingdom,
L believe | would have offered it as
readily as King Richard is said to have
done, for dog, were that animal to be
obtained III no other way. And to my
overwhelming JOY and happiness / got
dog.
He was very young when they gave
him to me (scarce two weeks old), and
very small. So much the better.
Though l could scarce see him at first
through the tears of my gratitude, re-
member that [ was in great admiration
of him-looked upon him as model of
beauty and grace, as he trotted unsteadi-
ly about in his investigative way, making
sudden surreptitious attacks upon the
chickens. [ loved to fondle his pretty,
delicate ears, and often stroked him down
with such an ardor of fondness as to
bend his weakly body to the earth.
And when he barked.-can [ begin to
describe the thrill of pride with which he
| filled me by his first impeItinent yelp?
| cannot; no, | assert that | cannot. 1t
was probably the shortest, but to me the
sweetest, sound had yet been privileged
| to hear In my rather limited experience
of earth.
After the first transports of my delight
and triumph on taking possession of the
young thing had passed away, and mad
| ceased to wonder at him and make mar
vel at his actions, the first thought that
occurred to me related to the important
question of his digestive powers.
| Amazed at myself that the thought had
not struck me sooner, hastily conveyed
him indoors and placed him on the clean,
smooth, kitchen floor, with the intention
of straightway giving unto him nourish-
| ment. But [ remember that / was so
struck with admiration as he stood there
| on the Notwithstanding I re-
manned there, some little time, gazing at
him. Presently, however, he ventured
to move, in doubtful sort of way, and
went pattering and shifting over the oil
cloth, to my intense delight Then I re-
collected my former project, and brought
him some milk III saucer, which [ set
before his little majesty with all the
eagerness of extreme youth.
Then it came to pass that he deigned
to sniff around the saucer, and at the
| saucer, and finally made srlndry small
dips into the milk with his black muzzle.
| Which feat accomplished, and probably
| finding it agreeable, he allowed said black
muzzle to remain in the saucer, and i'm
bided the liquid with evident relish,
| though | now conceive that [ enjoyed
still more the witnessing of the process.
| When he considered that he had had
enough, and, unlike Oliver, needed not
to ask for more, he made such an anus
ing appearance with the milk which had
adhered to the balr on his chin that [
was nearly overpowered by an inward fit
of chuckling.
He was my hope and my pride. He
soon learned to follow my call, and be-
lieve | led him many a weary trot III
consequence. | recollect that once [
nearly led him to the end of his ex-
istence by calling him over bridge con-
sisting of a single narrow log, which
crossed a swollen and rapid brook. In his
eagerness to follow me he left me by fall
ing off, aud was carried down the stream
some little distance. Although the little
rascal swan the moment he reached
water, he would probably have been
carried away entirely by the rapidity of
the torrent had | not rushed to his
rescue.
| am afraid that my rules of discipline
with this animal were not the wisest
that could have been adopted. In fact,
they said was running him, sometimes
l,I-i ,l1ll,r md NJ nj
and / firmly believe it was to some ex-
tent true In a word, [ often had occa-
sion (as / thought) to punish him, prin-
cipallv for disobedience; and this [ was
wont to do in rather unpriucipled man
ner. Sometimes in the extremity of my
wrath l would actually kick the little
creatures ribs, at which he would vent a
reproachful yelp and stink humbly away,
with his tail almost frozen IN between
his legs, you might say. But presently
he would come running back at my for
giving whistle; would stand little dis
lance from me with wistful, earnest eyes,
and doubtfully wag the upralsed tail;
would then slowly come nearer at my re-
peated words of forgiveness and endear-
ment, until at length he crouched down
10 the earth at my feet, and hid his head
there AS / caressed him.
One hot, sultry day | went to the vii
lage, a mile distant, and took him with
me. 1t was a long, dusty tramp for us,
and by the time we were ON the road re-
turning homeward the late afternoon had
come. On the near approach to the
house there was a long stretch of level
road, at the end of which it turned off
down the hill. There was clump of
trees at this turning point As | entered
upon this long stretch / noticed that the
dog painted areadfully from the heat,
I which was intense and sitting. Sudden
" setting up whelp, he dashed forward
with the speed of the wind, and was ont
I of sight in the cloud of dust which he
raised before / had begun to think of
trying to stop him. Again, the cloud
having lifted, | caught sight of him, just
7 as he was scampering around the curve
into +be p1unn of trees and | saw no