The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-30
THAT DOG NAPOLEON.
HE GREW UP WITH HIS YOUNG MAS
TER, WHO WAS FOND OF HIM.

Did Some Things Like All Dogs and 9th
CT Things Bcsidce-How Ho Frightened
Aunt Chesterfield and Earned n Quarter
For His Owner.
paid man 90 for him when he was
little pup-the dog, I mean-and he
told me-the man did-that If would
treat him kindly and give him plentyo of
corn bread-give the dog-he would
guarantee-the man would--that he
would grow up-the dog would grow up
to be an honor to him-to the man
Napoleon got to be the largest dog
and did 1t in the quickest manner of any
dog ever knew. wore long curls at
that time, remember, into which boys
used to cast burs, which hurt me good
deal. especially when Napoleon would
take his claws and try to run them
through my locks, although tho locks
never opened in that way They were
combination locks, I suppose, and
didn't yet have my letters in my head to
set the combination ON. He also grew
very strong, Napoleon did, SO that l
found it difficult to keep him at home
unless tied him. aud even then it both
cred mo if another dog happened to be
going by. Catching sight of that dog,
Napoleon would utter glad CRY and
bound over tho fence, utterly unmindful
of tho rope or me at the other end of it.
Down the street he would prance, giving
vent to short barks and drawing the at
tention of people after him. also myself.
NeiGhbors coming to the windows used
to marvel at the black and white streak
we made in passing by. Sometimes l
wouldn't get home till long after meal
tlme, which III those days was quite
detrimcnt to me, though not to Napo-
Icon, whose appetite soon became cello
brated throughout the whole town, for
when he couldn't get pair of rubbers
On fur muff to Stake the g1iawings of
hunger he would go out and collect the
lonyes Of brown bread that bakers had
left upon the adjacent stoops Iwouldn't
like to print tho things that people used
TO say about him at such times
We grew mp toSethcr-at least Ma
polcon did. for he had two feet tho start
of me. Wewere inseparable Ncighbors
said they never saw anything more SO,
oNAo s'tfo W dF NIlAtI1y i l.
get the rope unfastened in time
It was Napoleon's appetite that ufti-
mately accomplished his ruin, Just as it
has many another man s. Aunt and I'm
Gle Chesterfield came to visit US that
fall They lived at Jay Corners, and
really ought never to have gone any
where else, but there they We're. getting
out OF the stage at our front gate and
what could we do? 1 heard father say
that to mother rs they stood looking
out of the window together. Uncle
Chesterfield wasn't really our uncle. You
understand, but just an old friend of IA
ther 81 don't know how old. but he
looked every day Of it, and more. We
called him uncle because he appeared
that way. Aunt Chesterfield had tic
douloureuX. which used to cause her to
make up the awfulest faces realize
now that it was from pain, but at that
age used to laugh, whereupon she said
l was wicked boy. She also had
brown wig and rheumatism Uncle
Chesterfield didn't have anything but
just warts-I think counted 7O-and
Aunt Chesterfield But I heard father
tell mother that was enough.
Mother put them into the spare cham
Der, where the old fashioned canvas bot
tom bed was with the white valance
There were also some green wursted
lamp mats on the bureau We all
said good night, father wound up the
clock and everybody went to bed I was
always sound sleeper rs boy, so you
must know that Aunt Chesterfield had
to Shrek pretty loud to get me out, but
she did it, and could have fetched me,
think. if had been dead 1 got right ND
and ran into the spare chamber before
anybody could stop me.
Aunt Chesterfield was sitting in the
middle of the bed in red flannel night
gown. didn't know her at first, be-
cause her mouth was wide open, Shrek
ing. and her face twisted with tic dou-
lourcux, and the whitest, shiniest head
you ever saw, which remembered with
copious locks of brown But saw how
that was in a minute, for there was Ma
poleon over in the corner with brown
wig IN his mouth, which he was tossing
and worrying and carrying on dreadful
~ Uncle Chesterfield you couldn t see
o. first, but by and by you found him
with his legs stuck through the arms of
rocking chair, and every time he
moved Napoleon would growl, not being
acquainted with Uncle Chesterfield. and
be was almost scared to death.
They took the stage back to Jay Cor
ners the very next day. Mother was
dreadfully shocked. but 1 noticed that
father didn't get excited
Il wonder who let that dog ND
stairs?" he said musingly after the stage