American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-01-01

contents, all over her best calico gown.
But she did catch Rover, as he fell
back from the wires, and dripping,
scolding and crying, she carried him to
the barn, shut him up in the corn room,
and fled to the woodhouse herself, where
she stripped off shoes, dress and stock
ings, and stole up stairs for fresh cloth
ing, thankful Sarah was at school and
her husband hoeing corn.
But she had to buy Mrs. Blisset a
gallon of soft soap; and her own gown
was hopelessly faded in the severe
process of cleansing it from all that
grease. So she consented that a muzzle
should be bought for Rover.
But he revenged himself on the fam
lily in countless ways. He howled all
night, till Hepsy was nearly wild be-
tween sleeplessness and superstition.
80 Ephraim!' she said, over and
over, with tears in her eyes, and a voice
of deep woe. do you hear that
creatur'? AS sure as you're born,
there's a-goin' to be death amongst
us; it's sure sign"
ado go to sleep, mothern' growled
the weary man, '''r else let me. We're
all a. goin' to die fust or last, but L dono
as we're a-goin' to no sooner becos a
| yaller dog keeps up a yelpin'. Let him
haowl. He's ALFRED ugly. cos of that
muzzle. faint no sign but that"
| Hepsy sighed over her husband I'M
belief, but felt just as sure as she did be-
fore that Rover's wall was a warning of
the grave.
By day he was exasperating enough
to make life burden, if he did ppophe-
sy its extinction ut night. Not COW
passed the premises but he flew at its
heels with fury of barking that drove
the animal down or up street in a dis
turbed canter; and many a meek old
creature became fractions under this
discipline who had never before shown
temper, and many another turned into
the familiar barn-yard, painting and
sweating, with the milk dripping all the
way from her full udder. and but small
measure left for the pail, and little pa
thence for the mixer.
If a horse passed, either driven or
ridden, Rover flew at his head with in
sane zeal; some instinct warned him
from its heels. But even DIR. Slater's
old nag lost the propriety of its twenty
five years docility, and broke into
stumbling run that shook the fat doc
tor terribly, and produced general
cataclysm in his medicine-box, the Sec
ond time Rover's furious onset began.
Once might have been an accident, but
twice was more than Peter could en-:
dure-he ran away from it.
The neighbors were much stirred up
by all this excitement. and at last Miss
Samantha Beers, an old lady who "took
an interest in everybodys affairs, be-
took herself to the Tucker residence in
order to deal with "Mis' Tucker con-
corning the obnoxious animal she har-
bored
Hepsy saw her coming, and having
had several passages of arms with Miss
Samantha that had given her anything
but kind feeling toward the ancient
maiden, she resolved not to let her in
this time.
Rover was lying on the step, rather
tired of the chase. which had been fierce
and frequent, SO Hepsy called him soft
ly, and said:
"stubboy. Rove, stubboy.'' under
her breath.
He rose to the occasion just as Miss
Samantha put her hand on the gate, and
with his best bark made for her, when
Hepsy flung herself forward and caught
him by the hind leg.
''Don't come a-nigh him, Miss
Smanthy!' she screamed. "For the
mercy's sake, don't We open that gate!
Git away whilst can hold him. I dono
but what he mad!''
The old lady turned and fled, and
Hepsy dragged Rover into the house,
bone into the back shed, where she sat
down'o the step and laughed.
..Well said, Rover! good dog! You're
good for somethin' amt ye? So you
be. Id as lieves have you keep oil
Samantha Beers as Blisset's chickens
any day. She's sight wuss' n they be,
and 'twon't cost nigh so much.''
When Ephraim came home at night
Hcpsy recounted her last adventure
with great glee, and pa smiled, though
he did not at all approve. Yet he, too,
hated Samantha.
s'Welr' said he-the sound of a shot
and yell interrupted him. They hur-
ried to the back door to behold Rover
kicking in the last agonies, and the vii
lage Constable holding smoking gun.
.' You see the was complaint made
agin your dog't he'd got the hyropho-
and it's law to shoot 'em where they
be; SO 1 jest fetched around with this
here gun an put an eend to him."
''Get dollar fort, don't YEP" said
Ephraim, dryly; but Hepsy threw her
apron over her face and cried, while |
the Constable sneaked away from sar-
casm and tears, both of which made
him uneasy.
"Well, you done it yourselfr' NUT
tered Ephraim, in the true Adamic
spirit.
Hepsy was indignant. The apron |
came down with a snap.
Don't you never fetch me another |
yaller dog. Ephraim Tuckerr' she said,
with angry grief. He never did
Rose Terry Cooke, in YOUTHS Con,pa,s-
ion.