Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-09-21

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 YEARLY and slowly was feeling his
way down; "There1l not be a soul in
the streets with penny to spare; you'll
not get your bread that way to-day"
Its my Jack I'm going to look for
to-day" said the old man, "not 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
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.
Well try the bakers shop" said
Caleb, thinking of their old haunts, and
whether it were possible that the bakers
wife, who sometimes threw Jack broken
biscuit, had taken him in out of pity
for the night.
And while they were in the shop ask
ing after the dog, there came in two
children who had strange story to tell,
q 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 public honse, and who talked
and laughed loudly as they went along.
Said one: {" 1t doesn't do to be too ten
der-hearted 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 questions into the
bargain"
Caleb trembled from head to foot.
"Take me to his house," he said. in
voice that startled the children, for it
vibrated and twanged like an old harpsi-
chord 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 around the corner of the street A
man-servant answered Caleb's ring.
"My dog ]" said the old blind man. in
the same harsh, trembling voice; "what
have you done with him? He's white
haired like me, and thin like me; you
can count every rib in his body.
Ugh how cold it was The east wind
and sleet blew in the servants face, and
how could he be expected to stand there
talking with an old blind man on the
doorstep? He half shut the door.
" Your dog, old man - he said: "we
know nothing about dogs here" He
would have shut the door IN Caleb's face,
but the old man was to quick for him,
and had put his stick across the
threshold. "My dog!' he repeated,
louder and louder; white haired, thin
like me; you could count every rib he
had %
at this moment. He was dressed in the
glossiest of black with the whitest of
ties. He had cleaning smile, thick
square jaw and eyes that changed as you
looked at them. "What is to" he said
TRANQUILITY, coming toward the door.
"Does the man want money? [ do not
like disturbance on my doorstep. A
dog, did you say-white- haired-thin |!
Oh yes, L had him with two colleys yes
terday afternoon. The brute he wasn't
worth the money l paid for him; he
howled so we had to cut his wlndpipe be-
fore we could do anything with him. I
wouldn't have had him if I could have
got third colley; they are so much
quiet and patient. William did he say,
old man? No, I'm a Psychologist
shouldn't be abusive; the law protects
me, and we must have subjects. There,
that'n do" and he waved his hand
gracefully. SEQ away now. Wants
his bodyp' This to the man-servant.
ooh, by all means, Joseph, give him
what's left of limits in the back
yard" And the Psychologist, member
of at least one-half the scientific societies
of Europe and with a high repute
throughout the British Isles for learning
and humanity, went calmly into his
study to finish writing down the results
of his experiments over night on the two
colleys and poor, whitehaired Jack.
Caleb took the mangled body of his
old friend reverently into his arms, he
passed his hand tenderly over thestrained
eye-balls, the blood stained throat, the
severed ribs. "My God, he said, stand
ing there in the snow and east wind out
side the closed door, 81 can thank Thee
now that I have no sight wherewith to
see the wickedness these Thy creatures
have wrought"
The children came from round the
corner and led him home again, Caleb
still tenderly carrying Jack with his thin
ragged handkerchief spread over the
poor, torn body.
Hours after, the neighbors wondered
why there was not sound of movement
in the old mans room, and went in, fear
ing the old man was Ill, and there be was
seated on the floor with Jacks body on
his knee, and the words of thanksgiving
still on his lips, "God, I thank Thee
that I have no eyes to see this devils
work !"
Yes, he lives on, this old man, COM
panionless and alone the neighbors do
what they can for him, and he rarely
wants loaf of bread or cup Of tea now.
Every evening as the clock strikes five,
he gets I'M from his ricketv chair OpenS