Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-05-16
MUGGINS AND HIS MISTRESS.
How the Fox Terrier Went out to
see Life and Found Home.

y
master often pats me on the head
and tells me | shall be sure to 90
there, and he has never told me an
untruth in the twelve years | have
belonged TO him.
| was born in WOOdShed back of
Il Van Buren, street grocery store
There was quite Il family of us My
mother belonged TO the mdh who kept
the store and every night she was
taken from us and put in the store
to watch it. We Whincd and cried and
shiyered. but our mother would lick
us with her tongue and whisper to be
good babies and she would come to us
in the morning early. SO after a few
nights we got used to it and went
to sleep quietly. one by one my
brothers and sisters were given away
and | was left alone. My mother felt
50 sad to have her children taken
from her, not knowing what became
OF them. And | was so lonesome after
the others were gone that often
wanted to go out on the street with
my mother, but she said: "No. If YOU
are seen some one Will take you too. g
| got very tired of staying in the
WoodShed, so one night after my
mother had gone into the store slip
ped out on the street. Ii was very
dark and quiet. | kept running on
and on til | came to a place bril-
liantlE lighted, where there were lots
of carriages. Just az | was crossing
the street Il boy Spicd me and picked
me up, saying: Heres find! My
little butte. I'll get V for you. -
Presently Il crowd Of people came out
of big building near. Some got into
carriages, some walked and others
took the cars. Many of them noticed
me and asked the boy my breed, my
age and to whom | belonged The
boy answered readily enough that
was fox terrier, Il Thoroughbred. s
wcrl = Old and belonged to him.
oh. how | shvcr2d ana shook! How
| wished | had not disobeycd my
mother. ! thought how gricvcd she
would be in the morning when she
found the box empty. | wriggled and
tried to get away, but the boy boxed
me and told me to keep quiet. Final
~ Il coAchman reached down, saying:
Lets have Il look at the pup"
was handed up. examined, and 81
bin given in return for me.
Soon a lady ana gentleman came
to the carriage, and the coarhman
said:
"H"@4n' your pardon sir, but
al tie hopportmity to get you fox
terrier, witch you ave been a-lo0kin
haftcr." and handed me down.
was kept in the carriage till we
reached the house, when orders were
given to feed and keep me in The
barn The next morning | was brought
in for inspection. \ little invalid lay
on the couch, and | went direct to
her. This pleased her SO much. and
she said; Papa, will keep him for
mine and call him Muggins.'
Every day l was brought III for Il
time to my little miSSus, whom |
loved dearly. She always had Il bit
of candy or cake for me. | did not
grow very large, but | could hold my
own with the biggest kind of rat.
The first rat | caught was talked
about so much that was quite putfed
up with praise, but when | visited
my little mistress she said: "Muggins,
YOU must have your face and mouth
washed before you come near me. |
hear YOU have been killing horrid
rats" So with my tail and ears down
and very doleful countcnance | sub
mitted to having my face washed
This had to be done every day after
that, because my mistress did not
trust me. | would go to her sheepsh-
ly when | had been killing rats, and
very joyouSly when | had not, but
she did not seem to understand. And
SO. for five years my life was the
same each day. Toward the last my
little mistress did not go out in the
carriage, and | remained longer in
the room. She threw the ball for me
to fetch back less and less each day.
Then came Il day when i would put
the ball in the thin, white hand and
stand off and wag my tail, but a
faint smile and a low whisper were
her only response. Then for a short
time VAS held up to her to pat and
get my bit of cake, but at last the
day came when my little Sweet-faced
mistress was no more.
For days and days | searched room
after room in vain. When | could not
find her went back to my box in the
barn and frctted and pinned till they
thought was going to die, and called
a doctor for me. He gave me a lot
of black stuff to take, saying, because
my eyes watcred, | had the dstemper
He little thought | was crying and
breaking my heart for my little mis-
troSS.
The master came to the barn; he
knew. for he said: "Muggins, you
loved our little Alice; you are grieviuS
for her; we will never part with you.
MugginS, never | licked his hand
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