Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-01-16


lyon would tell me how much trner
my dumb friends are than those of whom
| think: and you are right. NY mules, nv
calves and you, are all tho society | wish.
and | am really content. If you cant
talk the worlds language. you at least
do not chatter meaningless nonsense, and
say what you do not mean; and your
eyes tell me of your love thousand
times a day, ant, best of all, you prove
it by your actions. / would not give Won
for all the friends of fashion | ever knew.
Now for some music"
Pose jumped to his feet at the words.
for she had talked tn him much that
he understood every word, and Logan
jumping about with evident delight that
he had broken her mood. When she
| again seated herself. guitar in hand, he
stationed himself at her side. with all
his dogs SENSES alert to the strain
she would first produce. He had learned
to know her moods by the tunes she
chose. Pose was as much a character as
his mistress. He had followed her home
from Board Hollow one day when "a mere
puppy, and had forever after refused to
leave her. She had paid for him sine. and
named him Purpose, because the old man
who owned him said he always acted with
a purpose, and Purpose had gradually
been changed into Pose. He could do
everything but talk and read. He could
count correctly, and bring home cattle or
sheep without missing one. In his own
way he could sing and dance, and under
stood the English language perfectly. He
was the only dog on the mountains of his
kind, and the people said, Like mistress,
like dog-he is just suited to her." He
never left his mistress, except when her
interests demanded it, but only in the
evening could they fully enjoy each others
society. :
His mistress began to sing robin
Adair." Had it been ~ Can Not Sing
the Old Songs" Pose would have been
wretched. but robin Adar" meant con-
tent and cheer, and he was happy dog.
"I"u are polite fellow. Pose. Few hu-
mans could listen to the same old songs
year after year with such apparent de-
light. What should | do without you,
dear:"-here she pulled his ,ong silky ears
out over her hand-"but the time must
take the missing place: The fact is, we're
growing Old, my dog. You do not see nv
gray hairs, but | counted five TODAY. and
soon my head will need no cap to change
my appearance. while you are growing
staid and quiet. and life will soon he over
for us both. Only yesterday the COW rang
her bell twice before you heard her, aud
your maps are growing longer and more
frequent: hut we'll stand by each other till
the last, and then-what then: Shall find
you over there, and have you always:
Who knows"
-
ouslv with heavy thumps upon the floor, to
show his hearty response to her senti-
ment. while she continued:
"Now We'll have the last dance of old 81
together, just to show are not so very
old Who knows what ~ will brine us ~
She took him by the hand, his two paws
in her two hands, and, humming little
air, they moved round and round the room
together, throwing shadows on the wall
opposite the fireplace.
Out in the cold, frosty air. just as the
moon was rising, black figure moved eau
tiously to the window of her sittin, room,
hid itself behind bush, and. after mo-
ment, raised itself on tip-toe and looked in.
1t was Just when mistress and dog were at
the height of their frolic. The figure did
not move, and n voice muttered $ something
about determination of cap" and for
getting"-then moved slowly Off toward
the cedars. An hour later, when Miss Dor
othy's fire had burned low, and she was
sleeping the sleep of the just the same
figure reappeared in the moonlight, and
could have been seen prowling around the
plac ST. silently that Pose did not awaken
Was il strange that in her dreams that
night old familiar faces became blended
with bur ,larS, and when she awoke and
remembered her whereabouts, she Should
smile and sigh and go to sleep again:
Old m.n and women, little children and
babies, young men and maidens, all met
together at Miss Dorothy's that memora-
bic morning of the New Year, lSS2 Hors es
mules. and even donkeys and oxen, had
been employed to carry the people to their
destination. Mrs. Fundy and two or three
neighbors had formed themselves. as first
comers into n committee of reception. and
az each new arrival rode up, they went out
to the "upper-block," as the hors - block
was called, and in cordial accents greeted
the guest with the old-time phrases:
"Howdy. Ligh, an hitch" Before noon
the house was full to Overlooking. the yard
was alive with many men and children,
and the odors of savory dishes were waited
fur out upon the air, as hint of the feast
preparing.
Such "a dinner as it was. However Dinah
and her mis- ress managed to cook so much
was the mystery: and, though it was nee
essary to st the tables in both large rooms
it took three different sets before all were
helped. At the first We're the married peo-
pie; then cam the younger ones. and. last
of all, the children. Miss Dorothy would
have liked to have reversed matters, hut
she saw the eager faces of the hungry men
and women. and had not the heart to DIS
appoint tn III: 50 she sent out apples and
cookies to tae children. and told binab to
hurry the dim +. Tn re had never been SO
many be: ore To celebrate her day. AMI she
was glad to see among her guests some
who had never before accepted her invita-
tion. They were people of bitter aud
las.iu p.ejudicas, and at first IA lew fani-
lies had ken offense at what tn " called
| ''her airs" and had been for lon time
unapprolchabl'. During the past v,ar he
ice had ban broken by serious ilnt- es
where sle had nursed patiently and loving
ly, turnl Ihin,, in many instances. inp1
and medicine.
While tn parents ate their dinner, the
childr, II paved blnd-msn'S huff in til,
barn. iu;Ir O'Clock the wild turkey.
and chic<", i's the vegetables, saIce.
aud puddings had been demolished. and
visiting began in earnest. In aud ont
| among this uneducated throng moved their
hostess, Miss Langley, quiet but CHEEKY;
loving, saying but little. She had a word
for all, some bit of inquiry aftoS an ailment
or piece of work, or suggestion that would
help in some new endeavor. They never
tired of watching her, this quiet, peaceful
but powerful woman, of whom they knew
so little, and on this day, more than ever
before. there seemed a fascination about
her that charmed them. The evening re-
vealed the cause of all the pounding and
hammering, for Miss Dorothy treated
them to a trip to New York with the aid
Of magic lantern. She showed them the
miseries of lower life there, its want and
poverty and crime. She described the diff
ference between life in q tenement house
| and on the heights of the mountains; in one
place all the earth one could hope to own
was their last resting place. while on the
other vast acres could be held by the poor
est. Then she told them of high life in the
city-its hollowness and hard-hearted-
ness, and contrasted this with their own
life. All this made them feel proud and
glad to be living simple, honest lives apart
from these rushing, seething enters of
civilization, and when they broke up and
started on their different roads homeward,
the full moon never shone down on a hap
pier group of mortals; yet not one, except
| their hostess. had ever seen a railroad or
travelled farther than a mule could carry
them.
ut is all over, Pose, and l am glad"
sighed out Miss Dorothea, as she closed
the door after the last guest. "I'll rest a
while, Dinah, while you straighten up"
She drew her own easy chair before TIA
dark fire place, and proceeded to rake the
embers together and coax them into u
blaze. A knock startled her. At this
hour it must mean sudden and severe sick
ness. She arose and opened the door to
find a stranger standing there. He was
unlike those who lived near her, and his
dress bespoke cty-life.
"Miss Langley, l believer"
His tones were musical, aud startled