Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-03-25
The Little MAJ
V!!A The Whisktr.. "

Wlta ta6 AlSKBFS.
"oh, Ethel, Ethell" she Iaid, che
doesn't love us any morei He isn't
happy with us any norel He is rest
less and wretched until he can get
away from us. Now hat he has moth
ing but praise from ev srybody and there
isn't critic left to al Use, him he has no
use for us! When / longed for n critic
to find out his worth little thought
was longing for the wreclxing of my
own happiness"
She seemed so unha ppy that began
to cry, too, for sympe ny.
Mistress" said. '.just show me
what q critic is like and you shan't have
to cry any more; will take care OF
you"
Before she could reply Patrick came
through the gate.
"Well, he do bawll' he said. 81 guess
I'd better change his food"
els any thing the matter with her2"
asked my mistress, starting up.
81 dunno" Patrick replied; "he's
been bawling that way all mornin'.
Tain't for the want Of food; he's fat
enough. .Mebbe he's lonesome. A
mans never done foolin' with a calf
that's been reared by wimmin."
"Poor little thing, may be she misses
her MASTER" said my mistress.
"Humphl" said Patrick. 'sHe's lad,
he Isl II he keeps up that bawling I'll
give him some condition powder and
have done with him."
Ny mistress turned away, not heed
ing my indignant protest, and was left
to my fate.
After she had gone in wasvery much
troubled. hated to see my dear, good,
kind mistress unhappy, and wanted
to help her, but how could when all
her trouble came from o critic, and
didn't even know what q critic was like.
asked the chickens.
They couldn't tell me.
asked the neighbours COW: she had
never heard of such a thing.
asked James. He said he supposed
itmust be a dealer in poor oats, for
that was the only thing he could think
of which could possibly make a person
cry.
asked the dogs.
The puppies giggled, but my mistress
pet dog, Sport, very arrogant Cocker
Spaniel, who thinks himself clever,
paused a moment to throw an answer
at me over his shoulder; he was too
superior to waste much time on me, and
this Is what he said:
"a critic is the only person who can
make my mistress cry"
But" asked, ''what is he ike?"
Sport gave an angry bark.
81 have told you all you need to
know" he said; Elf you are not smart
enough to think the rest out for your
self, I am sorry I wasted my breath
over you"
Sport walked into the house, and 1 re-
commenced on my cud, while thought.
At last 1t was all as clear as daylight
to me. A critic was the only person
who could make my mistress cry, so if
ever saw any one make my mistress
cry might be sure it was a critic, and
all had to do was to horn him, and
trample him to pieces, and then my dear
mistress would never cry again.
jumped and began to practice with
my new horns on the willow tree to see
If they would dent it; they didn't seem
to hurt It much, but resolved to use
them every day so that would be quite
ready for a critic when it came.
Time passed on. 1 never saw my
master, and there was no sitting under
the brook, no tender embraces under
the shadow Of the trees. My mistress
came every now and then, but she had
grown silent and sad and hardly ever
petted me.
One afternoon the gate opened.
looked up hoping to see both my friends,
but 1t was only my mistress and a little
dark man with whiskers. They came
over beside me and sat down under the
willow.
'It is a shame" he was saying, ''for
you to be left here alone day after day
like this"
''No," she answered, ''you find me q
little dull, I suppose, because have
been so long accustomed to have him
with me that don't quite understand
how to do without him yet-but shall
learn" and she gave a sigh that went
right to my heart.
eff had such a home and such .
wife you wouldn't catch me leaving
them" he said
"oh yes" she answered, with sort
of feeble imitation Of her old merry
laugh, eff you had ever such q nice
home you would find its hold on you
very slight whom art called you from
It."
cart doesn't often call so loudly now
adays."
"What do you mean?"
"The call Of pleasure is often dis
guised under the call of art"
Ny mistress turned on him with angry
eyes.
do you mean to hint that my hus-
band leaves me for his own enjoyment
or for any other reason than the
furthering of his worlxP''
Don't let's talk personalities" said
the little man with the whislzers.
"But we must. You mean something
personal"
Indeed you are mistalzen-I was
spealxinU penerally-with so manv hus-