Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-01-04
MR.. AND MRS. BOWSER.

ser has been looking alter a house
dog, and a good share of our
troubles have arisen over this fact.
On a hundred different occasions |
have asked him what he wanted of
a dog, and on hundred different
occasions he has raised his voice
and replied
"What do we want OF a dog !
Did you ever see a family which
amounted to shucks which didn't
keep a dog? Nature gave us the
dog to protect us--to be sort OF
companion. There are people who
can strike terror to dogs heart
by one look, but | am not one OF
those, Mrs. BOwser-no, thank
Heaven !"
"Can't you protect US, Mr.. Bow
ser -
"CertainIy l can and do, but sup
pose I am off my guard some night
and a burglar enters our house p
"And burglars the dog 7"
"That's 1t Sheer at the poor
dumb brute because nature made
HIN q dogl Under the circum-
stances l have stated we should
probably owe our lives to the faith
full guardian"
He brought home dog. 1t was a
dog with a certificate Of character
from his last owner. He was guar
anteed to be vigilant, trusty, tidy,
kind, and to have special banker
ing after the hfe.blood of house
breakers. He carried his head to
the left as if trying to see his LEFT
hind foot, and there was a GUS
picious squint in his eyes. He had
been badly knocked about from all
appearances, but the boys who
brought him explained that this
was the result of tackling an ele-
phant and coming off second best.
The beast growled at me and
snapped at the baby as Mr.. Bow
ser brought him in, and when 1
protested against the invasion |
was answered with
mo wonder he growls A dog
knows an enemy on sight. He feels
that you'd like TO murder him, and
he properly resentsit Come here,
Rambo.p
That night the dog had the run OF
the lower part of the house. We
had no sooner got to bed than he
began to howl. Mr.. Bowser silenced
him after awhile, and l heard the
beast gurgling and growing and
worrying something. | wanted
Mr.. Bowser to 60 down stairs, but
he utterly refused, saying:
"He has probably got hold of a
burglar, and l don't want to be ap.
pealed to to call him of. Just go to
sleep and LET Rambo alone. we
haven't been as safe for years"
Next morning the beast bit the
cook in the leg as she went down,
and the minute the door was
opened be lit out for parts un-
known. We soon discovered what
he had been worrying. 1t was Mr..
Bow ser's new winter overcoat, and
it was reduced to a roll of strings
and tatters.
"You brought him home !" | ex'
claimed as | pointed to the ruins.
81 did, ell Z" replied MIR. Bowser,
as he surveyed the heap. Sand
you lay right there and knew what
he was at and never said a word "
"You said he was chewing up a
burglar
"Then / was talking in my sleep,
and you knew it, Mrs. Bowser,
you don't get a new dud for a
yearw
The next dog was hound. The
owner told Mr.. Bowser that he was
a good deer dog, and $40 changed
hands on this account.
"But what good is deer dog? p
1 asked, when Mr.. BOwser explain
I
ed this fact.
"To run deer, OF course"
"But where are the deer !"
"Thats Just like you! You ex'
pect to look out Of the back door
and see dozen propose to &c
where the deer are. Did you evel
see a kinder face on dogp
"He looks very supplemented.
"Does he Well, don't you foo
yourself. You may owe your life
to him yet. He's better than forty
burglsr-alarms."
The canine deserved credit TO
one thing. He slept soundly oil
the parlor sofa all night. On th'
second afternoon be got out, and
! little terrier weighing eleven ounce
! ran him three times around tn
house and finally drove him into
barrel partly filed with plaster.
s "Did 1 buy him for fighter
shouted Mr.. Bowser, as | relates
] the occurrence. ale run, of course
! l bought him tor a runner"
He whistled for Archimedes, a
: he had named him, and the aDima
came creeping in and hid unde
q the lounge. When routed out {
= that he made a dive for Nj
( Bowser's feet, just in time to tri
!, him up and let him down with
Q lar that made the roof shake. Th
l. -.d t,rnta than iumnpd inIO th