Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-02-23
aauplths' Column,
THE STORY OF A DOG.

b SOme years ago. Juete iiNSG IA d
small village in the state of Ohio, a
large family of children, and among
the numerous pets was large white
dog by the name of Trim. The three
Younger children of the family, Bir-
new, John and Annie, made a great
deal of Trim, and having no baby
brother or sister, they would play
that Trim was a baby, and would
dress him up in baby clothes, put
him to sleep in the crib end have al
most as much fun with him as they
could have had with a real baby.
As you will see, Trim was very
sagacious dog, and among other good
qualities he possessed a good moral
character and was regular attendant
at the Baptist church which stood
but few rods from bis home. Now
at this time, in the little village where
these children lived, the church choir
was very different from the choirs in
in these times.
Besides several good singers, they
had a person who played the melode-
on-an instrument similar to a parlor
organ-one who played a base-viol,
a clarionetist, violinist and Il flute
players, and it was while the must
clans were engaged in tuning their
instruments that Trim showed off his
best style, and attracted large
amount of attention, especially from
the children, and from any strangers
who might chance to be present,
The futest, who was very peculiar
looking man, with a grizzly and
bristly mustache- queer looking top
not, and big round trimmed specta-
cles, would give the other musicians
''a'' in a long drawn note, the base
violinist and the violinist would begin
to saw with their bows, at the same
time twisting the ears of their instru-
ments as though they meant to twist
them off, the clarionetist would give
an occasional blast, and to make the
''confusion worse confounded, +" Trim
who always sat on the seat with the
other members of the family would
turn his head to one side, lay back
his ears, and lift up his voice and
howl. The little children, and some
time larger people would indulge III an
occasional loud smile, but Trim was
in serious earnest, and during the
regular services there was not a more
demure looking, nor better behaved
person in the house, than he. Now
it happened that the family to which
Trim belonged "got OUT with the
| Baptist minister, or became tired of
so much music, l forget which, and
began going to the Methodist church
in another part of the village. But
Trim remained true to his first love
and every Sunday morning he would
90 alone to his church, take his ac-
customed seat, and assist in "raisine
the pitch as bravely as if assisted
by the whole family.
But Trim like many smart children
was spoiled child, and when the
three children got a ''really truly
baby sister and gave her more atten.
ton and petted her more than they
did him, he became cross and ugly
and one day having bit Annie anC
been scolded for it he ran away from
home. Some months afterward h'
came back and staid one night Blu
as they had no babies at his new
home, and fed him on pie and cak
and fresh meat, he preferred that t.
the old home, and having gone tn
second time all trace of him was lost
But after John had grown to man
and was doing what he could to pu
down the rebellion, of which yo
read in your L. S. histories, he a
one time was sitting by the cam
fire with some of his comrades, tel
ling ''yarns" and among others wa
the one about Trim. Then a fierc
looking corporal told how at on
time he had large white runawa
dog given to him for his children t
play with, and of all the wonderfr
tricks this dog would do and it wa
soon decided that his dog and Tril
were the same and John was glad t
learn that Trim lived to good oil
age, and had a good home and
kind master.
John and Annie now have familie
of their own and John often enter
tains his girls with the true story c
old Trim. Christian at Work.