Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-07-03

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victuals." and they had said no NOR
| about il.
But now, as he turned his horses
heads away from the town and towards
home, there suddenly came into hi
mind a picture of the house and its sur
roundings, and this was followed b,
the queer kind of feeling of which ]
have spoken, and which he did not evel
remember to have experienced before.
He could see the cottage with tn,
green blinds all closed as an intimatior
to any passer-by that the family wa
absent. His old dog, which had come
with him all the weary way across the
plains, and had met and welcomed him
before he reached the gate on his return
from short absences, ever since they
settled in the valley, would not do Sc
to-day, for he was with him in the
wagon.
The dog had become too old and stifl
70 take pleasure in following the wagon,
as general thing, and preferred re.
manning at home with the family when
Erastus drove the fruit wagon TO town,
but when he saw preparations taking
place for tho trip to San Francisco he
had pricked up his ears with evident
interest, and when tn, entire family
came out to get into the wagon, old
Bose was close at their heels, and nei-
thcr coaxing nor threats could induce
him t) remain behind when the wagon
started.
Evidently he thought that another
Journey across TIE plains was to be UNI
dertaken, and though much prcferring
TO lie in the sunshine and keep the
chickens out of the front yard, to any
more laborious service, he would yet
have undergone any torture rather than
be separated from the family, and a
look of pain and mortified pride came
into his honest eyes when told by his
master that he must remain and watch
the house, and instead of obeying he
crept close 10 their feet and looked
pitcously up as if begging them not to
leave him behind, now that they were
going away. never to return. And so
they patted him on the head and called
him good fellow" and "brave old
dog" aud told him he should go if he
wanted to. Then his whole demcanor
changed. He gave great bark and
showed his teeth in an attempt to laugh,
which can not be said to have been an
entire failure, and endeavorcd in every
possible way to express his thanks and
assure them that he was the proudcst
an bravest dog on the Pacific coast,
and ready and able for any service that
might be required of him.
Then lie started on ahead of the
wagon, looking back every few rods to
make certain that he was leading in the
right directions; but before they were
halt way to town he had dropped back
10 the side of the wagon; then he fell
into the rear, and finally, looking back
and seeing how nearly the poor old fell
low was tired out and how piteously he
begged with his great eyes not to be
left behind, the wagon had been
brought to stop and Erastus had got
out and lifted him in with the rest of
the family" where the girls and Mrs
Parsons had had some difficulty in in
ducing him not to show his gratitude
III too demonstrative manner. When
they descended from the wagon and
went on board. the steamer he was so
fearful of being left that he kept in
front of them and under their feet until
several members of the family came
near falling over him; but when Erastus
had said ..good-bye" to them all and
turning to go called to him to follow,
he went willingly. evidently satisfied
that after all he was mistaken and this
was only holiday excursion.
And now he sat upon the seat with
Erastus in perfect contentment and
with slight air of Importance, as if he
felt n consciousness of having proven
anew his devotion to those he served,
and had received a recognition of his
value.
Ordinarily the presence of the dog
might have prevented any feeling of
loneliness in the man had he been dis
posed to it, but to-day, although he did
feel that the dog was company in n
sense, yet his very presence, being unu-
sual, served to remind him that the
house to which they were returning
was desolate, and somehow things took
on an unreal look, and when he turned
into the barnyard and saw the chickens
and turkeys scratching in the straw or
wallowing in the dust, he was not quiee
certain whether they were chickens and
turkeys or just the ghosts of those that
were wont to scratch and strut there
before al other signs of life had ceased
and such an unnatural and oppressive
stiffness had settled down over the
place.
After taking the gears from the horses
and feeding them he started to the
house TO get his dinner. The thought
of cooking his own meal was not quite
SO pleasant now as he had thought il
might be, and he was half inclined to
go without it or take cold snack and
wait until night before cooking any
thing. Then his appetite began to re-
turn, and he concluded to at least fry a
couple of eggs and make a cup of cof-
fee
lie entered the house by the back
way, and stood fora moment looking
about him. The fire was out in the
kitchen stove; the chairs stood, stiff.
backed and unsociable. against the
wall; the room had lost its air of cheer.
fulness, and his football had lonely
kind Of a sound as he stepped on the
bare kitchen floor.
He threw open the door which opened
onto the kitchen porch and let in flood
of sunshine. The old dog had pre-.
ceded him to the house and taken his
accustomed place upon the porch and
was rest ng. When Erastus opened the
door, the dog opened one eye slecpily
and half raised his head as if to inquire
il he was wanted for anything, and then
stretched himself to sleep again. Every
thing seemed asleep or dead, and HI
cooked and ate his dinner with feel.
ing as if he was cut oil from all human
society by a thousand miles of desert
When he had eaten his own meal he
called Bose in and set down u plate
with scraps on it for him to eat
Then, not Knowing exactly what to dc
with the remainder of the food which
lie had cooked, he set that down for the
dog also, and took his hat and went out
to work.
Several times that afternoon he won.
dered to himself that he had never be-
fore noticed how still it was out there
Al n