Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-09

would sometimes condescend to digniGed
gambol but he never turned double somer
saults at a sight OF piece Of meat.
As Lagniappo grew older, Jacinthy, my
woman of-all-work, advanced the opinion
that he was "a debbil" and indeed, his con-
duct warranted the compliment. Everything
tearable he tore. When he found that he
could not climb upon the table, he would
pull off the CLOTH and calmly feast among the
fragments of broken crockery. Pillows,
cushions, towes-everything movable, in
short-he conveyed under the house. II was
part Of Jacinthy's regular morning work TO
make pilgrimages thereto, emerging each
time with loud groans and declarations that
her back was "mos' broke"
My slippers he nevor could resist, and was
not happy until he had gnawed of the flow
ers embroidered by my afectionate mother.
II was a sight TO see him walking around
them, critically nibbling the toes aud heels
ns if to see which tasted best.
| II he had been a child instead of q puppy,
| / should have been sure he was going TO
prove a naturalist, he had such a mania for
| "specimens." l used to find small muse
um on the front gallery every morning-sev-
| eral old bones, tin can, discarded un-bon-
net and gigantic shoe Of Jacinthy's, besides a
dead bird. This bird in particular was al
ways turning up Unexpectedly in the most
|
could never persuade Lagniappe that it was
offensive. He had a fashion of presenting it
to me, after his most fragrant misdeeds, as an
act of Precipitation, until il resolved itself into
one wing and few feathers.
II l may be forgiven for the remark, it
must be confessed that l often gave Lagn-
iappe boot for these presents of his.
His delight was to snatch the food out of
the very mouth Of Max, my horse leaping
into the trough and scattering the corn far
and wide.
Once threw down an armful of hay upon
| the ground for Max. Lagniappe, who had
been watching me with his head on one side,
suddenly trotted of, and returned with his
| favorite bird. This he buried under the hay,
and then retired to some distance, his pleased
expression saying, plainly, won't old Max
| be astonished when he comes down to that p
1t was practical joke.
He had peculiar spite against Jacinthy's
feet and ankles Perhaps they offended his
| ideas of symmetry.
As for having dog to intimidGte thieves,
| | often wished for a few thieves to intimdate
| this dog. He possessed an ncredible impu-
dence. The only thing that ever put him out
of countenance was ooncertina owned by
| Jacinthy from which she could draw blood
| curding strains. At the first note he would
utter a howl and retire under the house, with
his tail between his legs. Among the MEM
bers of my household was a lean ghostly
white turkey, with whom Lagniappe waged
| perpetual war. 1t was not that he was open
| ly abusive, but he bowed and scraped around
it with such absurd airs Of exaggerated civili-
| ty that the turkey never could control his
temper. This creature was almost as fond Of
me as Lagniappe was, and sometimes, after
| going to my room, 1 would hear a ghostly
| chuckle overhead. and looking up there would
| be my feathered friend roosting on the tester
of the old fashioned bed.
With all his faults, Lagniappe was ahec-
tonate, and loved to sit beside me, Snug
| Cling his black muzZle into my hand. After
all, there's no friend like faithful dog. 1t
never makes any difference to him whether
you grow old and ugly or lose all your mon
| ey. He bears your kicks and curses patient
| ly, and presently, when you are in good
temper again, he is ready to wag his tail and
frisk about you.
Poor Lagniappe he brought me one Of
the best things of my life. wish l had been
more grateful, but at that time my violent
temper often carried me away. The worst Of
it was that he did not confne his depreda-
| tions to my own domain, but sometimes made
raids upon our neighbors. so that was sew
eral times under the necessity of restoring
stolen articles.
things into running gear when one fine day
/ saw Lagniappe trot into tho yard with
something in his mouth, which he secreted
under the front steps. / followed him, and
| discovered the object to be a thin blue and
| gold volume Of poems. The puppy having
been dismissed with a cuff on the ears, l
looked at the hy-leaf, and saw written there
"Anne Page. The Oaks"
Under this a masculine hand had append
| -. A., De-
| pliment snubbed by the severe marginal note,
stuff and nonsense"
Then l remembered that my father had
| given me letter of introduction to Colonel
| Page-no doubt this young lady's papa. l
| pictured her tall and slim and fair, with n
| face like a white rose, and an air Of gentle
and gracious dignity.
l intended returning the book Immediately,
but each day something prevented me from
doing so, until in the mean time l became
| quite familiar with its contents. Here ard
| there / found q word or line underscored,
and these read with redoubled interest.
At last found leisure afternoon. Lagn-
| iappe showed an inclination to follow me,
| but sternly ordered him to stay at home.
| Seemingly he bowed to fate, for he fingered
beside the hedge, shifting at the leaves, and
| giving passing tweak to the turkeys tail
almost humming a tune, in fact, the better to
express carelessness and good conscience.
So left him.
On my way toward Col. Pages plantation
| l took cut off through the fields, but soon
discovered that it had led me to a side gate
However, l went in. and followed the bridle-
| path until the sound of voices told me / was
near the house so l checked my horse be-
| hind clump of japonicas in order TO recon-
noitre. Peering through the branches, 1
could see jutting out from the side OF the
mansion a little portico on which a silver
haired old lady was standing, with young
girl beside her. Such a girl What gyp-
| sy she was Heavy masses of dark hair, q
pomegranate bloom on her cheeks and the
widest, brightest, sauciest and most laughing
eyes-but l will not enlarge, as the preachers
| say. Before them stood an elderly negro
in defiant attitude.
"Abram," the old lady was saying, II re-
ally cannot stand this any longer. Three
times in one week you have come home in a
state of intoxication."
''Now, ole mistis, jes you shet up, was
Abrams astounding Tejoinder. 'It's Missy
Anne what I'm addressin'."
"Well, hurry up, and say what you have to
say" retorted the young lady.
Nov Missy Anne, doesn't 1 always drive
you out nice, an go whar you sends me
An you know you don min sendin' pore
ole nigger out any time o. day or night no
matter ef it's rainin' rattlesnakes-no, nor
scGrpenters, neider. An when takes you
out in de o'r'age, an you whistles an sings
an behaves like young lady didn't oughter
act, does 1 ever make any 'jections wild you p
mo, Abram should hope you know
your place better" said the giIl, suppressing
a giggle with severity.
T'Well, den"-in a conclusive tone-"what
fault has you got to find o me, name o. gra-
cious?"
"Oh, go along Abram," said the elder la
dy. 'You are incorrigible. Only don't you
let me see you again in such condition"
"No, mistis; 1 won't mistis. But you
doesn't pear to member dat 1 can't take a
ea-spoonful o. anythin' 'thout its maxim me
right down sick"
And he departed, shaking his head over her