The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-05-08
LUCYS DUCK.
How Our Pet Died ~ Result or Our Care
lc9eneea.

NueH Lucy WAS woe girl ABOUT lOuF
years old she was one day visiting a
neighhor who owned nice brood of
little ducks. .Oh, ! wish l had one!"
was Lucy's exclamation the moment
she beheld them, and Of course the
neighbor understood the broad hint, and
one Of the ducks was given to her. 1t
was about three weeks Old-just the
right size TO he cute. and it straightway
became great pet with the whole
household. Ii duck ever tried to talk,
that one certainly did. 1t seemed to have
as much right to the house as any OF US,
and was great annoyance to our older
sister, Rose. 1t would 60 into the kitch-
en- when she was busy preparing the
meals and greet her with "Quack.
quack," which we interpreted rs mean
ing "IIow do you do?"
1t would follow her around, and sew
eral times 1t narrowly escaped being
stepped upon, but then Rose had kind
heart, and would not have hurt it, oven
though she did sometimes ''scold."
"Duckie, Duckie." we would cali, and
II 1t was nowhere in sight. We would
soon hear its familiar 'Quack, qdack,
and 1t would lose no time in coming to
us.
1t would follow Lucy and l nearly
every place we went, If we would per-
init it: but we were not satisfied with its
merely following us, and would tie
string to its neck, and lead it when we
were playing, and it would waddlc along
as contentedly as could be. No differ
ence If we did sometimes go SO fast as to
upset it, it would say 'qnack. quack,"
get up and follow us as eagerly as ever.
We had a playhouse, what child has
not?) and we had great fun with our
no, Lucy's duck. We would take it to
the playhouse, and pretend it was COM
pany. We would talk to it and it would
answer in its language, and many hap
py hours we spent together.
We would tie duckie in box to keep
there very contentedly. and talk to US
continually.
One day we tied it in the box, and
were busy playing, when we were called
to dinner. In our haste we forgot
duckie and left it tied in its box. It was
some time after dinner when we thought
Of it, and how our feet few to that play
house. We called to duckie, and not re-
ceiving reply, concluded something
must be wrong. Hastily we ran to the
box and conceive our horror and chagrin,
when we saw that poor little duck hang
ing over the side of the box-dead!
1t did not like the idea of being left
alone and had tried to get out to follow
US, and the string not being of sufficient
length to reach the floor on the outside
Of the box, the duck was left hanging
about half way from the top OF the box
to the floor. II ever two children felt
sorrier than we did, pity them.
We had not only the loss Of our pet to
bear, but also the knowledge that we
were the cause of its death. That was
the worst of all. II we had not forgot
ten to unite that string, or had arrived
before the duck died! But, alas! We
were too late for aught but repentance.
We knew that mamma would have to
be told, and !, being the older, thatduty
aevolved upon me.
Silently we wendell our way to the
house, and it must have been two
sorrowful little faces that mamma be-
held.
Mamma, the duck is dead" I finally
found the courage to say. Well, we es-
capped with very little rcproof, for / think
mamma was almost as sorry as We were.
And Rose, too, though she had pretend
ed not to care much for the ''sweet little
thing" was sorry when she heard the
story Poor little duckie! Its life was q
short one. and it almost makes me feel
sad yet young lady that ami when l
think Of the tragic ending Of it life.
AS for Lucy. do not know what she
thought concerning it, except by her
looks, for she never would say whether
she was sorry or whether she missed the
duck.
She never has expressed her opinion
about it yet, but it is fact that she
never possessed another pet duck.-Lulu
A. Davis, in Toledo Blade.
THE COMMODORE"