Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-10-03
CASEY:
Aud How me wn- nehnbiIi,nied.

hblhlhE VI hln oN'iAAAk NV bAA vi ApA viz
question of life-mere existence was 50
ever-present and tremendous with him that
its continuance was of much more concern
than its origin. Blood may tell, but in the
case Of Casey it told nothing to his credit
He was just as disreputable, homeless, tag
less and thievish as any of the companions
with whom he marauded, quarreled and
struggled for maintenance.
Casey had fallen from the high and com
Portable state to which he was born through
no fault for which he was responsible, but
owing to the verdict passed upon him by
the coachman and the gardener that he was
"runt.' At the time this terrible YER
dict had been given, Casey (then known
to his aristocratic circle as "Rollo'D was
feeding on the milk and bread Of plenty,
without other clouds in the summer sky of
his young existence than such as were
caused by the depressing knowledge that
every one of his brothers and sisters could
thrash him with ease-and did 50 with fire.
quency.
1t was partly this fact, observed by the
coachman and gardener, and partly a
whimsical mark over his eyes, which decid-
ed Casey's fate. The sentence was Death
by drowning
hC 'bhNAhseiA vas aBlPAlLIh NAtNhbAph
er, and to his credit, accepted the task with
regret, for Casey, though small for his four
months and lacking IN beauty, being scar
red with much disastrous war, was as
plucky as any one Of the litter. The house
keeper decided against II pail of water in
the barn, as the means of Casey's taking
of, for although admitted to be simple and
convenient, as urged by the executioner,
the story would be a sad one to relate to
young Master Francis upon his return
'he must be lost ~ concluded the good
woman significantly; taken to the water
front and lost
Casey's mother and father were record
ed in the Kennel books, by number, name,
and pedigree, as the two best bred fox ter
riers in America so there must be some
pride of birth lacking in runts, or Casey
would have shrunk instinctively when he
found himself in the company of two young
men who were engaged in concealing stolen
scrap-iron under a wharf, when disturbed
by Casey's splashing in the cold water of
the bay by their very side. His indigna-
tion at the coachman for throwing him into
such unpleasant water may have had some
thiug-even much-to do with his absence
of all haughtiness and restraint in the
presence of low companions. After being
tished out Of the bay by one of the young
men, and having his mouth held close 10
prevent his yelping-which might have at
tracted police attention-Casey at once
fraternized with his new friends in a man
ner which showed, as before suggested, a
total absence of pride of birth.
Casey was too young to he guided by the
great moral truth that personal comfort
yea, saiety-gained by the sacrifice of any
principle, especially SO sustaining "A one as
pride of birth are but giddy and insure.
Finding that his choice of conditions lay
between remaining quiet and alive or yelp
ing disapproval of his environment anC
getting drowned for it, Casey curled on
a coat, wagged his tail, shivered and-helC
his peace. Casey, it has been said, wa
young, and considered the conditions en-
tirelv outside Of the ethical relations hi
untaught mind accepted comfortable eX
stence, even at the sacrifice Of principle
as possessing advantages over non-exist
ence under any circumstances-if there b,
circumstances relating to non-existence.
The task Of concealing their plunde
among the sea-wall rocks, to which tn
thieves boat was fastened, proceeded with
out interruption until one of the thieves
"a pleasant faced ad-noticed Casey shiver
ing so that he seemed to be about to shiv
| er himself out of the world. The bo
| grabbed up Casey, clambered along tn
rocks until he came to one side of pie
running out from the wharf, looked abou
cautiously, saw no officer, and then care
! fully tossed the dog on to a bale of bags ly
ing in the sun ON the pier.
LET der purp dry in der sun he ain
done no harm, " remarked the youth.
His kind action may have been prompte
| by the pleasing reflection that in savin
| Casey's life he was preventing what som
one had considered the performance of
| duty
The work beneath the wharf again pre-
ceeded in silence, and Casey slept in con
fort until he was dry. and warm and huI
CRY His hunger woke him but his frs
impulse to proclaim the fact loudly wa
repressed by recolections of recent exp,
rience. Suddenly, however, he did begi
yeping dismally, persisteutly so persis
emily that his young friend glanced cat
tiously up over the edge of the pier. Wht
he saw made him snatch Casey and disal
pear under the wharf with warnln
whistle The some one who had mao
Casey yelp and his friends scurry ava
with their boat under the darkness of Il
wharf came down the pier, looked abou
shook his head and said "Th' young di,
lis! Eff tn pup hadn't barked Old been u
to 'emn
It was a policeman, and because of h
long blue coat and brass buttons Casey mi
took him for the coachman returning f,
an obvious and awful purpose
The young thieves were delighted vii
Casey he had repaid their service TO hi
in kind. He was Immediately named taft,
the officer whose approach he had signaled
and fed, and made to understand that he d
served we'll. The aptitude he displayed +,
the training he was given showed that
comprehended that his duty in life was
give his companions prompt warning
any threatened interruption, and TO ke,
an especial lookout at all times for men
brass buttons and long blue coats. Befo
he was year Old, Casey was known aloI
the wateT-fr front, from Black Point to Mi
sion Rock, as a more reliable lookout thu
any boy, aud, of course, possessed the a
ditional advantage of not being counted
when the results of a day's-or nights
work were being decided. Yet Casey's "
a hard life, He was not always even fe
and seldom sheltered, by his associate
Sometimes they disappeared for weeks
time, when Casey would steal his met
from the wharf laborers at lunch time,
20 hungry. His recollections Of tin
when he always had plenty to eat and
comfortable bed, were growing dim, al
T might have disappeared entirely had he II
been taken one day a long distance fro
the water front with one Of his young COZ
, panions, and a man he had frequently SCI
} but never operated with. Casey felt pro-
of his company he knew instructive
that his sphere of usefulness was about
be enlarged, and grander opportunities
forded him for the display of those taler
for which he was justly renowned Aft
a deal of walking over hills the trio stC
ped near some large grounds inclosing
handsome house and stable. The man fiji
> approached and applied for work at I
kitchen door. lie took the servants ref
al conlly, and made leisurely observatio
before he reiuined his confederates Tn
: the boy, with Casey at his heels, went
the kitchen door and begged for somethi
10 eat. lie got it and luade his ubser,
tiOns, also. Casey was curiously affect
by what he saw. lie, too, appeared 10
I making observations, aud all the way ba
n to the waterfront was so preoccupied
D mind that he narrowly escaped being r
over half a dozen times a carelessn
. which earned him several hearty kicks FIR,
i the man
} In view of Caseys career, il is proba
that his subsequent actions were as mt
prompted by a desire To revenge th,