Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-06-12
TOWSER AND DAISY.

Mrs. Annie A. Preston, in Every Thursday.
"How lovely those lambs arer sighed
Blanche Avery, climbing up on the bars
of the sheppard and peering over at her
Uncle William, who was patiently but
vainly trying to coax pretty mother
eve to own one of her two lambkins.
"rm ashamed of you, Betty" he said,
giving the sheep gentle push. "You
show bad taste to mother so tenderly
this weazen little black fellow and let
this pretty white Daisy starve. Iwould
give her ava y if any one wanted her
enough to teach her to drink"
"Oh Uncle Williaml" exclai med
Blanche, jumping down from the bars
and holding out her arms entreatingly,
''do you mean it. Would you really
give her to me?"
Certainly, child, if you had any place
for herr"
"We live in the village, to be sure, but
we have nice large stable, and cow
and horse. Why could we not have a
lamb?"
"Well, l don't know but you might;
only what do you think old Towser would
say should you bring home new pet?
He has always been prime favorite."
81 suppose he would be surprised a
little, as well as papa and mama and the
rest of the family; but will teach Daisy
to drink if you will give her to me and
allow me to carry her home. 1 have
always so wanted lamb of my own"
Towser and the 'rest of the family"
were astonished indeed when Uncle
William, from the farm, came to drive
his little niece home, to see him lift
from the buggy comical wee lamb and
give it into her outstretched arms.
at is all legs and head now, know,
and has not much beauty to boast of,
explained the tiny girl, marching off to
the stable with her treasure. "Come,
Towser, l want you to get acquainted
the first thing. You will see how lovely
she will be as soon as she begins to grow;
and then you will be proud to have her
for your friend"
This wise piece of flattery evidently
took immediate effect on the big black
old guardian of the Avery house and
stable; for although he despised cats, had
shaken the sawdust out of many doll,
and would not allow small dog on the
premises, he took Daisy at once under
his strong and affectiOnate protection.
81 am sure Towser taught her to drink
her milk" said Blanche the next day,
when her Uncle William called at the
house, "for l have scarcely taken any
pains, and she drinks like anything.
And when they lie down on the straw to
sleep, Tower keeps her close to him so
that she will be warm"
After awhile this droll couple would |
walk around the yard together, the lamb
to nibble at the grass on the
borders and Tower waiting patiently
for her to enjoy the tid-bits and then re-
sumo the promenade with him.
Sometimes they would rub their noses
together, and Blanche would exclaim
with delight that they were talking to-
gether. Indeed there seemed to be no
of doubt that they understood
each other perfectly.
The very first day Blanche went to
she came home to find both
her pets missing. She ran all over the
home premises and skipped away to the
nearest neighbors in her anxious search;
but no one had seen the familiar pair.
Presently an old gentleman, who lived
at the end of the street, came along, and,
finding Blanche leaning on the gate with
her handkerchief to her eyes, paused to
learn the cause of her distress.
"Why, my little lass, l saw them jog
ging along up the Coldstream road more
than an hour ago." he said. 81 noticed
them particularly, because they went
faster than they do usually when they
are lettering around here. They went
as if they had an object in view-as if
they had something on their minds"
ado you hear, papa?" said Blanche,
L Ou Will uthC iAhSO hAbShON
into the carriage right away and go after
them won't your"
1t was not long before Mr.. Avery and
his little daughter drove into the house
yard at Uncle Williams farm
"Bow- wow-wow," roared Towser, from
a cool, snug resting place under the
cherry tree.
"Baa-a-a," put in Daisy, who was leis-
urely cropping clover only a few feet
away.
"Ha-ha-haT laughed Uncle William
from the piazza. "Who is going to ex
plain what sent those creatures up here
alone this hot dayf Towser, of course,
was at the bottom of it. Did he think
Blanche was hereH or did he want to get
rid of Daisy, and so induce her to come
by telling her that her mother, brother
and other relations were here, and that
she would find better grazing placesH"
No one could solve the question, but