Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-29
The Story of a Little Pig.
By the Author of s'John Halifax, Gen-
 tIeman.''
 rFroro MaoNFI11aD.s

A~~S-AA~~1 tIeman.'' From MacMillans Magazine.l He was the sweetest lamb-no, pig-that ever perished in infant bloom. As he lay on my kitchen table, white as milk from head to tail, his poor little pink eyes half open, and his tiny feet-Iet us say at once his pettitoes stretched out as if in helpless submission to destiny, my heart melted. So did the hearts of all my women servants, who gath cred round him, contemplating him with an air of mild melancholy. stHe does look so like baby." said one. (So he did-ths Duchess baby in ''AGce's Adventures,'' which is by turns an infant and little pig.)
 II don't think I could cook him. re- marked the cook, matronly and tender hearted person, who had had good deal to do with babies.
 s'And I'm sure couldn't eat him." added, with dignity, the parlor maid.
 'tWe none of us could eat him." was the general chorus. And they all looked at me as if were a sort of female Herod- Evi- dently they had never read Charles Lamb and were unappreciative of their blessings
 As for me- I slowly took in the difficulties of the position, and as I gazed down on the martyred innocence lying on the table-to quote line from an old drama 'knew how murderers feel"
 Yet I was only an accessory after the fact.
 
 who is always ready to do kindness to any body, one day offered my husband sucking pig, which was refused and given to some body else. Immediately afterward hap pened to say was sorry for this, as liked pig: have one-the very next that arrives. I shall not forget. It is promise" Which, after an interval of several months, during which myself had entirely forgotten it, was thus faithfully kept.
 special messenger brought the present to my door, with the injunction that he was to be cooked that day for dinner, Cthe pig, not the messenger.) And-there he lay! with the sympathetic domestic circle at once admiring and lamenting him.
 I went out and gathered the collective opinion of the drawing room. It was much the same as that of the kitchen. Several other members of the family protested that they didn't care for pig" and one even went so far as to say that if poor piggie- wiggie appeared on the table she should be obliged to dine out.
 Was ever a I0ckless house mother in such 8 quandary? What was I to do? Even though-Gn c mmon with Elia-I must own to the soft impeachment )-even though like pig-how could I have one cooked ex- clusively for my own eating /? and further, how could eat him up all myself? And he required, like all sucking pigs, to be cooked and eaten immediately.
 Between the dread of annoying my whole family or the kindly friend who had wished to give me pleasure, I was in despair, till a bright idea struck me- Near at hand was 8 household of mutual friends-a large house hold, who could easily consume even two pigs, and to whom my friend would, knew, have been as glad to give pleasure as to my self
 sfPeck the pig up again very carefully" said I, land let him be taken at once to Eden Cottage They are sure to enjoy him."
 ''Oh yes, ma'am." And 8 smile of relief overspread the countenances of my domes tics, especially the cook, as piggy disap- peared in great dignity, for, to save time, I sent him in the carriage. So he departed, followed by much admiration but no regrets save mine.
 But I had reckoned without my host. Half an hour afterward my parlor- maid pre- scented herself with a long face
 'sHe has come back, maam."
 "Who
 'rThe little pig. They say they are very much obliged, but none of the family like pork"
 tsHe is not pork" cried indignantly. A sweet, tender, lovely sucking pig, embaImed in all classic memories, to call him common 'tpork!" It was profanity.
 Still nothing could be done, and the mo- ments were flying I turned to benevolent lady visitor and told her my grief. She laughed, but sympathized.
 ''Will you take him ?'' I said hopefully. '1ndeed he is great beauty, and am sorry to part with him, but if you would take him.
 sT don't think my brother cares fer pig. but some of the rest might like it, ;" answered the benign woman. ''So, if you are quite sure you don't want him-'
 ''If wanted him ever so much couldn't keep him. Do take him. And hope that at least your visitors will enjoy him."
 Not until they had departed-little pig and all-did I recolIect, and felt hot to the very end of my fingers, that to the remote ances- tors of these my dear and excellent friends the ancestors of my little pig must have been the most obnoxious of food! But when one has t1put one's foot into it' the best thing is te let it stop there, without any attempt to draw it out. So rested content My pig was Safely disposed of.
 At his usual hour my husband entered looking pleased and amused
 ''So you've got your little pig at last. M was so delighted about it and so kind. It was kept on purpose for you till we came home from the North. He put it in his car riage, drove to town with it himself, and sent it by messenger in full time to be cooked for dinner to-day. And the last word he said to me was. Now, be sure there's plenty