The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-22

our old Brutus7" he said to me. "Ah,
he doesn't care much FOR making new
friends now. He would only like TO find
the old friends again that he buried
.cng ago In that mysterious past OF his
My friend stopped as he spoke ana
sroked the great, soft head. Poor
Brntusr' he said Poor, old faithful
dogw
1t was not much OF story, yet 1t was
rather curious. About FIVE years ago my
friend and his family were staying dur
Ing the summer at little seaside town
on the north coast OF France 1t was a
quiet and rather dui. place, except that
its harbor WAS always lively with the
coming and going of fisher boats and
ccfier briggs and sucIa like craft, the
vagching OF which was quite an endless
6c.ight to the children, who, indeed,
spent every moment they could steal
from morning to night down at the quay,
staring with al their might, and as often
as they could doing more than staring
az al that went on deck.
II was a fine, great open sell, that even
In summer was pretty rough at times,
coming tumbling often in great waves
over the beach and covering all the pier
vita showers OF spray. Charlie and WR-
lie were always in a state of huge delight
whenever those big wavss came rolling
landward. They used every morning, as
soon as they were out Of bed, to run to
their bedroom window with little shoeless
feet and hare legs, to see whether the
white crests we're there.
or course they never thought OF any
thlng-for they were very small creatures
but OF the fun that 1t was to see the
learlng AMI roIing water, and Of the de-
light OF being sent scampering up the
beach when some bigger wave than al.
the rest would run after them as II broke
upon the sands. as II 1t were resolved to
catch them and wet their stockings ana
shoes at least, let their little legs fly as
fast as they would 1T must be rough
at sea-" their father and mother used to
say sometimes In their hearing, especially
during one week when the north wind
blew with a strong wild roaring, and
down about the pier the fishermen stood |
looking through their glasses out to sea, |
anxiously Shaking their heads now and |
then, but Wi.lie and Charlie only grew
merrier as the wind blew stronger. They |
thought that to be out upon the beach |
when they could not keep their footing,
and when the air was white with spray
was the finest fun that they had ever
had In their lives
II wish Il would blow like this for
everl' Charlie would say.
And then Willie, who was the young
est, and who never liked to be outdone,
would cap Charles speech and cry with
enthusiasm, II wish II would blow ten
times harderw
One bright warm summer morning
with Just wind enough to make asllttle
curl upon the waves and to Ill the sails
as the fltcler boats put out. there were
vessels coming In this morning as well as
leaving the har'bor. Several brlgs that
had been expected for some days, and
that the storm had delayed, got into port
today But there was one especially
that among all the rest attracted the
boys attention. 1t was an English col
iier. standing on whose deck as she came
near, they saw a great, black, noble
Newfoundland dog The creature was
standing upon his four feet taking no
notice Of any one, but slowly moved his
head from side to side, as IL he were |
vainly looking for something that he |
copld iaot Understanding quite still, so |
passive that even when the boat touched |
the quay, the people came up and stroked
and spoke TO him, he merely let them
do II and never moved so much as the
tip OF his tail IN answer to them.
The children had caught sight of him,
with shout OF delight. "Oh, see what
big dog" While had cried, and clapplng
their Joyful little hands they started for
ward to get as near the brig as they
could. They saw several people gather
round the creature presently, and upon
that they pushed their way into the boat,
too. squeezing In cleverly between tho
sailors legs tl they got quite c,ose to
where the dog was with the master or
the brig standing by his side and telling
this sad little story;
In the gray OF the summer morning, ne
was saying. almost AS the French coast
was coming into sight, one OF the crew
OF the brig had seen a little black speck
dancing on the water far away. They
could not tell what It was-lt was too
indistlnct for that hut they knew It
might be a drowning man, so they low
cred their little boat at once and made
for him as hard as they could pull. Bun
II was no man. When they came near,
they found nothing but this poor Test dos,
floating on bit of wreck, the spar OF
some vessel that had probably foundered
in the storm and gone silently down |
with her crew. They took him into their |
Boat and brought him back with them. |
This was a,r his story.
Here he stood now dazed, half-starved, |
bewEdered, looking with strange eyes at
each strange face about him. dumb
through II all. As the master OF the |
collier told the little story more than one
plying hand was put forward to stroke |
the big black head but the creature took |
no notice of any one OF them only stood |
quite stil. piercing through the llttiu
group with those sad eager human eyes
OF his, Poor fellow! Poor dog" they |
said.
The chlllren stood a little from him |
with grave, touched faces They were
gazing so earnestly at him that they dld
not see their father, who had come
down TO the quay, as he came often, to
give momentary eye TO his young mon-
keys, and see that they were not drown |
ing themselves or getting into any other |
hopeless mischief, and who was standing |
now behind them and had been listening |
while the master tod his tale They !
only knew he was there when they sud.
denfy heard his voice.
''What are you going to 10 with him?
VIII you part with him." he called out
to elAe master When the lads turned
round with a little cry, "Oh fatherH
they exclaimed. and their hearts leaped
to their mouths. They were afraid 10
utter another word. They stood with their
lips parted with eagerness as they waited
for the masters answer.
"We.l sir. I'm open for an offer for
him." the man said after moments 81
ience, and then the children burst into
shouts of delight.
len lNiflHttc AAANA0ttAA NhNS MtAt VAN
ing home With the beast between them.
They chattered away as they went OF all
that they would do With him, what they
should call him, nov he should so every
where with them, and how many thlngs
they would teach him. They held him
by the ear and capped his back, and
gamboIed round him. Who can teG what
mis- thoughts were al the time2 Who
could tell them, as ne walked on with
those dumb wondering. patient eyes OF
his. with the new voices In his ear, anc
an the OLD world and the o;d time gone
from him iike a dream?
1--WE brought him home In week or
two." my friend said TO me (we had been
seiklng up and down the lawn while the
tod me the httle sltoryl "and the boys
soon grew very fond OF him, bot Il !
& q curious thing that during al these
i've years he hls been with us now, he
has never grown more than ha'f at
home here / think ne has been as happy
With MS as ne would have been anywhere
md more doclle. patent, kindly ma I
- n. 1aa.a