The herald., 1893-05-09
A YELLOW DOGS LUCK.
How a vagabcnd Canine Succeeded In Got
ting SQuare Meal.

ting O Square NAeat.
Alfred de Musset, the famous French
poet, was st one time conducting can
vass for election to the French academy.
Members of this distinguished body are
elected to it by those who are already
members, and custom requires fhat an
aspirant shall go about soliciting the
votes ofinernbe1s. Mussethad gone from
one acadenicinn4 to another and was on
his way, on foot, tothe house of thee Count
de Sainte-Aulaire, just outside OF Paris,
whose-vote he hoped to gain. When he
had almost arrived at the place. large
yellow dog began to follow him, but the
dog sneaked behind, and as the poetwas
TOO much wrapped in bis thoughts to
look around he did not know that what
was perhaps the most hSdeous dog in
Paris was ct his heels.
When tho poet rang at M. de Sainte-
Aulaire's door, the dog watched his
chance, and as the door was opened
clipped into the house. The servant sup
posed the DOG was the newcomers, and
the poet supposed that it belonged to the
house.
The host and his fani1ywere warm
admirers of Mussetand gave him a hearty
welcome, though they gazed askance at
the horrible ySlov dog, which had curled
its long legs down on a be&utifel rug
woven by the young LADY Of the fanaily
as a present to her grandmother.
'fExtraordinary taste in petsy'' said the
host to himself. "But to a great poet
anything may be pardonea.
''ss55ttrange," said Musset to himself,
''that an elegant family like thislshould
keep such hideous curl''
When presently the poet had been in
vited to remain to dinner and the dog
had promptly accompanied the family
and their guest to the dining room, the
master Of the house was IN grave doubt
whether "snytling could be pardoned to
o post" The animal rushed arodnd the
table, grabbing a piece Of food, frighten-
ing the venerable grandmother almost to
death, and acting ike the miserable, hun
CRY vagabond that he was.
The hostess, by way Of delicate COM
plirnent to her guest, causod alarge plate
Of food to be placed for the dog. The
animal ate it IN q minutes time and gal
loped around the table for more. He
barked fer6cious1y when oneof the fa1ni-
ly declined to give him a piece of meat
that he saw on plate.
The dogs actions prevented any. con-
versation OF any enjoyment of the meal.
The host looked at bis guest and won
dered. The guest looked at his host and
wondered.
AS the party was rising from the table
tho dog rushed against a servant and
caused him to upset the greater portion
Of set Of rare and precious china, an
heirloom in tho family. The ladies gath
cred about, weeping, and began to pick
up the priceless fragments.
Something in the hostess face inspired
the poet with sudden and fearful
thought. He rushed up to the count.
''san it be possible, SIR" he exclaimed,
"that you supposed that this dog be-
longed to mer' sscos
why, Of course we supposed he was
yours" said the count. 'sHe came with
you, did he not2"
II never saw the hideous boast be-
foreP' ssid Mhsset. II supposed all the
time that the dog belonged to the house,
Then the animal, which had shown
signs Of uneasiness during this little con-
versation, sneaked toward the door. He
was kicked out, yelping, but once we'll
outside he shook himself and trotted of
with complacent air, which seemed to
say: iil5v- t
'Well, that's all right--so long as you
didn't turn me out before dinnerr'
M. de Sainte-Aulaire voted for Musset.
''But," he said, ~ shouldn't have done
20 if that dog had really been his. Upon
such little things do great things de-
pendF-Youth's Companion.