The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-08-25
New YOrk's Pet Dogs.

Il
drives, and thousands of every sort and
afternoon. 1t is an even bet that in
eight out of ten carriages, single or
double. in which there are ladies, there
will be dogs. remember when Lima
Edwin, charming Coincidence, who,
with George Clark, now of the Madison
Square theater, had a little bandboX
for comedy up town, startled the pro-
prieties by appearing on Broadway
with beautiful silken-haired lap-dog
under her arm. Little by little the ex-
ception became the rule, and to-day
fat women, thin women, old girls,
young girls, every variety of the fem
mime gender has its dog. There are
pretty little silken-haired dogs, slender
little greyhounds, funny little tootsie-
wootsies, apparently all hair, with an
apology for tail and two twinkling
black eyes, hidden in hairy recesses.
These, and now and then .magnifi-
cent Newfouudl and or a superb and
stately greynSNnd, are what can be
seen on the promenade of Fifth avenue
and Broadway, in stages, in buggies, in
little jerk-me up and jerk-me-down dog
carts, in barouches and in every place
known to feminine caprice. This morn
ing | rode from South ferry in Broad
way omnibus. There were six men
and six women all told. One woman
had a black and tan in her lap. The
dog may have been six inches long and
three inches high, but / doubt it. Next
to her sat a very uncomfortably fat
woman. She had long, thin dog,
with face like an Irish setter. The
dog was too unwieldy for her to hold
in her lap-in fact she had no lap to
speak of. She was chiefly stomach and
knees. So she placed the dog
between herself and a Chinaman who
sat next her. The Chinaman didn't like
the dog, and the dog knew it. The dog
didn't like the Chinaman, and the Chi
naman knew it. Hostilities were early
developed, greatly to the amusement of
everybody except the old lady and the
Chinaman. The fun continued for some
time, when, the day being hot, the dog
grew tired and indicated his desire to
suspend hostilities by jumping from the
seat clear across the stage into the lap
of very pretty girl, one of the prettiest
siXteen-year-olders ever saw, with long
braids down her back, beautiful blue
eyes and charming red cheeks, in whose
arms Gone in each) were cuddled two of
the cunningest little Skyes. Precisely
what the setter intended he alone knew.
The effect was patent. The girl was
frightened, and with sudden twist to
the left unfortunately threw one of the
dogs into the street, and in less time
than it takes to tell it the heavy wheel of
the numbering stage put an end to his
suffering, too clearly indicated by two
short, sharp, decisive yelps. The agi-
tation of the girl may be imagined. The
general upsettedness of the stage-load
of passengers may possibly be conceived,
but the establishment of the setter, who
was grabbed quickly by his hind leg,
and also by the Chinaman, and slung
with inconceivable rapidity through the
open window in the door, it would be
difficult to depict. So would the uni
versal roar that followed the Chinaman' S
ejaculation of exultation, and so, too,
would the Indignation of the fat woman
whose dog had been thrown away, when,
rising upon her sturdy limbs, with one
hand she yanked the strap leading to
the drivers foot, and with the other,
holding her parasol, she belabored the
grinning Chinaman over the head and
shoulders until the stage was stopped,
and with difficulty she got out. Whether
she secured her dog or not, don't know,
for the stage moved rapidly on.
We are used now to dogs in public
conveyances, to dogs in restaurants, to
dogs in parlors, in bedrooms, in ladies'
laps, but it will take us some time to
become accustomed to dogs in churches,
although it is but week since / looked
into the cooling interior of Trinity
church, where possibly $50 fortunate
sinners were loudly proclaiming them
selves as miserable sinners, following
the lead of $4,000 year rector,
Morgan Dix. Accepting the courteous
invitation of the sexton, l took seat
in the aisle on tolerably hard bench,
although there were at least 1,20O
nicely-cushioned seats unoccupied.
Hardly had | accustomed myself to the
board beneath me when my eye detect
ed in a pew occupied by well-known
millionaire, his wife, one son, and two
little girls, the prettiest black and tan
| think 1 ever saw-the merriest, jol-
lest, waggiest-tail, black and tan in
the world. The youngest child held
him in her arms as she might a baby.
His little head rested lovingly on her
shoulder, while his black eyes merrily
twinkled as he took the congregation
in. If / had been as nearly ten years
of age as l am fifty, that little girl and
that little dog would have had a cheer
full time during the rest of the service,
for ] certainly should have attracted
the attention of both. AS il was I con.
tented myself with making a series o.
grimaces, unseen by any but the dog
At first he regarded me with unfeigned
amazement. Gradually his little tai
withdrew from its convenient shelter
between his hind legs and waved over
his back, He pricked up one ear, then
the other, until, exasperated beyond
endurance, he stiffened himself up
and, standing straight in the little
girls arms, gave one, to me, tremen
dous bark. The miserable sinners
with one accord, forsook their piou,
endeavor and turned to see the source
of the unaccustomed noise, The
slipper-shod sexton moved gently down
the aisle. l, of course, was immersed
in thought, but the speedy exit of tn,
little girl, accompanied by her eldel
brother, who buried the dogs head il