Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-04-13
From the New York Evening Mall
A COUNTRY BOYS DOG.
BY A. V. LEAVITT.

~
country boy, I had long wished for the
congenial compromising of 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. l needed but the society of q
little shifting, painting, tail-wagging fol-
lower to complete my innocent content.
Had / been in possession of kingdom,
readily as King Richard is said to have
done, Cor a dog. were that animal to be
obtained IN no other way. And to my
overwhelming Joy and happiness got a
dog.
He was very young when they gave
him to me (scarce two weeks old), and
very small. So much the better.
Though [ could scarce see him at first
through the tears of my gratitude, re-
member that L was in great admiration
of him-looked upon him as a 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
filed me by his first impairment yelp?
[ cannot; no. I assert that 1 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 I was so
struck with admiration as he stood there
on the Notwithstanding s-that 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 re-
collected my former project, and brought
him some milk In saucer, which I 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 sundry 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 [ enioyed
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 hair 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 nv call, and I be-
heve | led HIM many weary trot in
consequence. / recollect that once /
nearly led him to the end of lis ex-
lstence 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, and 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.
T am afraid that nay rules of discipline
with this animal were not the wisest
that could have been adopted. In fact,
they said | was running him, sometimes
by indulgence and at others by cruelty,
and / firmly believe it was to some ex-
tent true. In word, I often had occa-
sion las [ thought) to punish him, prin-
cipally for disobedience; and this I was
wont to do in rather unprincipled 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 a little dis
tance from me with wistful. earnest ewes.