The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
COALY.

When the Man of the House brought him
home one rainy night, miserable, huddled-
up heap of inky blackness, the Boy, after
moment of consideration, patted the dog s
wet sides with his chubby hands; and
struck, no doubt, by his resemblance in
color to the contents of the scuttle before
the fire graveiy bestowed on him the name
OF Coaly. This christening we regarded as
nothing short of inspiration and Coaly he
remained to the end of the chapter.
There was never, i think, another dog
with such passion for responsibility. The
common joys of dogdom the surreptitious
burymg of stolen bones, the long mad
chases after flying cats. the fierce set-tos
with the butchers dog, had no charms for
patient, ugly Coaly. The Boy mad been his
HIst friend and Coaly was not one to forget.
Dlo our sturdy fodder venture zoo near the
edge or the piazza Coaly caught al his pima
lore and pulled him back. Did the Boy
weep Tor some forbidden trea sure CoaIy
adoed his bowls until the family gladly
RECONSTRUCTED its veto. Did he aesire a horse
Coaly was ready to prance to the best of his
small ability; or dancing bear like the
oISan-grlnder he willingly stood on his
hind legs and assumed the part He was
his slave
But the real business of his life began
with the advent of the Baby. When the
Baby was wv weeks old CoaIy was placed
on duty. He soon learned that he could
quiet his charge by keeping the cradle
swinging. He would give short run and
jump UP against the cradle to start it, then
watch it with his bright, intelligent eyes,
ana when 1T seemed on the point of stopping
repeat the performance. This labor of love
have known him 70 continue until his
short legs trembled under his fat body and
his breath came in difficult gasps.
AS the Baby grew older she was placed on
q comfort on the floor and then indeed
Coalys ingenuity shone brightest When
she began to fret Coaly ran around her
with quick, sharp banks to attract her at
tention. If this failed to interest, he would
jump back and forth over her until she
crowed aloud; but, when this device also
failed. he would run through the house in
ing by her would howl dismally.
The entreaty, 'Oh, Coaly! please go back
70 the Baby for just one minute" left
him unmoved. He had done his best, and
the Baby still cried; the Little Mother must
take her turn. One summer day, in re-
Spouse TO fierce, urgent banks, we hastened
out on the piazza to find Coaiy bristiing
With Indignation, and a fat darky stand
ing laughing heartily beside the Babys
'Scuze me, lady" he began, addressing
the Little Mother with a fine display of
imTories, but is dis yer. yo liz baby?"
hits de whites baby en- de blackes' dog
wat l mos ever see Use mighty fon'
chilluns en- jes gwine stoop down en- TEX
10 knowed 1t up popped DAT ar black
dog, en- jis like bus is fat sides barkin.' Z"
And we heard him chuckle as he moved
away, Mighty pow'ful, bark shoh gen'l-
men. Yes sub; mighty DOW ful''
The Boy had been advanced to the dig
nifty of trousers and pockets, and the Baby
was dainty midget Of two, when the Lit
tie Mother noticed one evening that CoaIy
was not himself. He refused to take part
"a n sne chldreE pedtiIae frolic, and all the
Babys coaxing little ways and appeals
could not move him from the rug on which
he had stretched himself.
Il am afraid Coaly is SICK" said the
Little Mother. aQXiOuSlV
But the Man of the House treasured her.
nonsense my dear, you make entirely too
bit old, like the rest of us. Let him alone. -
So the Little Mother took up her sewing
the Man of the House went on with his
reading and Coaly lay still. watching them
with affectionate eyes
Later that night, when the house was
STILL the Little Mother was awakened by
the sound of Coaly's feet as he battered
over the floor to her bedside. She was
troubled by this departure from his usual
came so many times that finally the Man
of the House demonstrated you have
kept us awake all night, Coaly Go back
to your bed and don't come into this room
again. unless you want a whipping" Then
the Man of the House. with a mind at
peace, slept and the Little Mother dozed,
dreams Of Coaly coming wlstfully to the
door.
In the. morning she found him lying
Just inside the room at the foot Of the
Baby's bed, with his head on his short lit
tie paws. Wake up, you persistent, dis
obedient Coaly," she said tapping him with
her slippered foot. Her look Of amusement
faded, however, into one of establishment
as the dog remained deaf to her repeated
remonstrances. and her cry of consterna-
ton brought the Man of the House with
the Boy and the Baby tumbling after him
But the Boys rousing greeting failed to
elicit one responsive wag of the tail and the
Baby warm caresses brought no answering
warmth to the dogs cold little body. Coa1y
was dead.
That afternoon our neighbor over the way
came in, and almost the first thing she said
was: II saw your dog do the pluckiest
thing yesterday afternoon / was reading
at my front window when heard q noise
and looked up. There came your baby tod
ding across the road and a runaway team
dashing towards her. / started on a run,
but before had got off the porch I saw
Coaly coming to the rescue. Re rushed at
the horses. barking and jumping at them
until they swerved out of the Baby's path
One Of them struck Coaly with his hoof
and thought he must be hurt, but ne
jumped up and tugged away at the Baby's
dress until he got her inside the yard 1t
was all over in minute, and the Baby
couldn't have been hurt, but how about
Coaly2 Where IS hep"
Through the open window came the happy
voice Of the Baby at play with the Boy I'M
der the apple 4 se. And with q sudden real
ization that but for Coaly the music of that
voice had been stilled for her forever, the
Little Mother answered with a storm OF
tears ESTHER "A. HARDING.