The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-09-10
Our &ops ano Girls.


This is sad story of bad little dog.
His name was Fido. His tail curled up
very high, and he had two big black
eyes that goggled out of his head, and
were always on the lookout for cats,
for Fido hated them. There was not
cat in the whole neighborhood he had
not chased and pulled fur out of and
snapped at their tails, and in many
ways made them very unhappy. There
could be neither dignity nor peace in
the cat community where he lived.
Just when Mrs. Tabby would be Civ
ing little lecture on department to her
daughters, and saying: "Girls, your
behavior horrilies me. positively for
bid you to chase your tails again. Carry
them low and swinging gracefully, as l
do, and endeavor to remember you are
getting to the age when gambols are
unsuitable. Also remember a we'll
bred cat never allows anything to dis
turb her dignity. Under the most try
ing circumstances she preserves an atti-
tude of lofty serenity that marks her as
a cat of the best society "-iust at that
moment Fido would dash out from
corner where he had been hiding, and
Mamma Tabby would turn double
somersault, spit, scratch and fly shrek
ing up tree, with her tail as big as
feather-duster, and all the effect of the
lecture on department would be lost.
And when Mr.. Thomas Tabby was
instructing his boys how to walk on
the fence, and fight duels at midnight
on a sloping roof, and was in the
middle of saying, in his most lordly
tones: " Courage, my boys, unhinch-
ing courage has always been the motto
of our house. Be worthy of your illus
trious name. No Tabby ever turned
his back on foe," Fido would bounce
out from behind a barrel, and Mr..
Thomas Tabby would fall backward
over the fence, and never stop until he
put whole square between himself
and his prosecutor. How could there
be any discipline in the family when
this sort of thing was happening every
day?
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Tabby both
decided that something ought to be
done. Mr.. Tabby said he thought Mrs
Tabby ought to put that low-bred crea-
ture down; she ought to express her
contempt for him. But Mrs. Tabby
said it would be far more appropriate
and effectual for Mr.. Ta0by to defy
him to mortal combat and destroy him :;
strew his fragments to the winds.
Mr.. Tabby said he woud-some time,
but that he was not feeling strong after
the severe winter, and he thought he
would wait until he was in better con-
dition.
One night Grimalkin Tabby, the eld-
! honnnna6 fn rly hot ho
had seen Fido 90 into the house a few
the back door. Upon which Mr..
Thomas Tabby observed that he had
stood the insolence of that little beast
just as long as he intended to, and this
very night he meant to challenge him
to duel to the death. Mrs. Tabby
said perhaps he had better not do that.
She believed that it would be sufficient
to give him a thorough setting down,
and she was not going to let another
night go over her head without doing it.
So they started off together, and
stood proudly side by side on the fence
of the back yard where Fido lived.
They both looked carefully round to see
if the way was clear, in case they got
tired of staying there and decided to
leave in hurry; and then Mr.. Tabby
expanded his chest, and his eyes flashed
fire, while in his deepest bass tones he
cried " You-u-u, Fido-o-o! l defy
you-o-o" While Mrs. Tabby arched
her back, and shrieked in her shrillest
| treble, " Wr-r-re-t- ch-h-h!n
Fido was in the library asleep on the
rug, but he heard them even in his
dreams; and, the library door being
shut, he flung himself against it, bark
ing with all his might. Then he rushed
back to his little master, nearly wag-
cling himself off his tail to show what he
wanted. Freddy was sitting on a big
hassock by the fire, drawing pictures
on his slate. His yellow curls fell down
over his eyes as he bent his head to
keep the glow from the CRATE from burn
ing his cheeks.
"No, Fido," he said, mildly, but
firmly, shaking back his yellow mop:
81 can't open the door. You only
want to chase those poor cats again,
and l don't think you ought to-"
Fido burst into loud and angry
bark that meant: 8 Just let me get at
them I'll teach them to call me
namesl I'll finish theml"
But Freddy refused to open the door,
and reasoned with him gravely.
"Fido, " he said, in his sweetest tones,
''do you think it is very kind to chase
those poor cats so much? You're a
great deal bigger than they are, Fido;
and papa says it's mean and cowardly
to fight any one smaller than yourself"
The naughty little boy paid no atten-
ton, and continued to scratch at the
door and bark. Freddy laid down his
slate, and looked at him in sorrowful
surprise
"Fido," he said, responsibility,
show would you feel if great big
tiger was to.,come and bark at you, and
try to catch you by the tail? Do you
think you would like it? Well, now,
Fido, that's just the way those poor cats
feel about YOU"
But even this remonstrance had no
effect on Fido. He said, in banks so
furious thew nearly took him off his