Evening star., 1893-12-04
MRs. ToMKYNs woOLLY DOG.
Poor Thing, 1t Followed Her Home
One Day, Like Mary's Lamb.

Poor Thing, 1t Followed Her Home
One Day, Like Mary's Lamb.
IT was the woolliest dog that she had ever
seen, Mrs Tomkyns declared. She never did
pretend to know much about the canine
genus. Which was sufficiently evident, her
husband remarked, In his sarcastic way.
else she could not have picked up such a
specimen. 1t was of the purest mongrel
breed, but like some poorly bred persons.
possessed an extravagant flow Of animal
spirits.
It was not exactly true that Mrs Tom
kyns picked him UP. He followed her home
of his own accord and against many pro-
tests on her part But when she said go
away, doggy he responded by wagging his
tail and seemed encouraged to keep on.
When she reached her domicile and shut
the door in its face he lay down upon the
mat and waited cheerfully. There was no
way to get rid of him, unless by sending
for policeman to take him away, and that
would be equivalent to booming him to
death at the pound, which Mrs. Tomkyns
could not bear to think of.
Night came on very cold. and still the dog
lay patiently on the mat evidently confident
that he would be admitted some time. To
leave him out there to freeze was impossi-
Die. lOInhylS Cdlleu MIN III, WHeTe-
upon he wasged his tail and looked ex-
tremely grateful. MIR. Tomkyns made a
cynical remark or two. but that was only
his way, and his wife knew very we'll that
he would have been as little disposed as
herself to let the beast suffer. So ne was
taken into the kitchen, where a bowl of
milk. a generous bone and an improvised
bed were provided for his comfort.
Only month after she was married Mrs
Tomkyns had experienced the annoyance OF
having very young colOred baby left in
her back yard one evening. The cook dis
covered ii by stepping on the infant, fortu-
nately without inJuring 1t at all, while on
her way to fasten the gate. But the child
had been readily disposed of by conveying
1t to the nearest police station. whence il
was transferred to suitable asylum. Cn-
fortunately, no charitable organizations ex-
ist for taking care of stray dogs. and sc
Rags (Which was the name given to the
woolly guest by Mr.. Tomkyns) was difficult
to get rid Of. In fact, he had to stay.
With his fate in this respect he seemed
most content. Perhaps his dominant quail
ity was amiability. He at once became in
spired with violent affection for Mrs
Tomkyns, whom he insisted upon accom-
panying to market every morning. Though
not a connoisseur in dogs, she perceived that
his want of breeding was rather painfully
palpable and that his company lent nc
credit to her. Within twenty-four hours
after his arrival the family kitten, a very
small one, chanced to be playing with its
tail in the middle of the kitchen floor. Rags
observing its contortions with curiosity
CHANGED to yawn over 1.-THE was quite a
large dog-and it is not surprising that the
mother cat thought that he was on the
point of devouring her offspring instanter
Sne made spring az him, and brief and
decisive conflict resulted in the hopeless rout
of Rags. He fled and hid himself in the
coal bin for some hours. From that timt
forward he was in terror of all cats. If hi
saw the most peaceful tabby sitting In the
sun and washing her face with her paws
he would make rush for shelter The
shelter he preferred was beneath Mrs. Tom.
kyns' skirts when he was out walking with
her. This was extremely embarrassing. In
fact, Mrs. Tomkyns had made up her minC
that she would never take him to mark et
again, when an incident occurred which re
leved her of all further anxiety on the sub
Ject, though Ii was rather annoying in IT.
SELF She was on an expedition for domestic
forage at the time.
She had completed her purchases and was
on her way out of the market, accompanied
by Rags. when she was confronted by an
angry colored woman, who pointed to tht
dog while exclaiming:
SO you are the person who stole my
dog.'
Mrs. Tomkyns would have entered a dis.
ciainer. but her interlocutor would not lis
ten The latter launched into a flight OF
Vltuperative eloquence. which Immediately
gathered crowd, and. after exnaustine
her vocabulary of epithets, she quietly
walked away with Rags, whose real nam,
II appeared was Beauty, leaving the victim
OF the episode to make her way homewarC
with as much dignity as she was able Il
summon to her aid.
That is the reason why Mrs Tomkvn,
says that she will never have another dog
particularly woolly one