Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-16
Dinple.


II ever there was a case in which the
Intentions of nature were quite set al
naught, 1T was when my cousin Euge-
MIA began to bring herself up after
her own pattern without the slightes.
regard to the cutting of the cloth
Nature had meant her for a kitten girl
or dove girl, anything that was made
up OF curves and softness, while she
preferred to be a composition of an
gels
Therefore, in place OF dancing, flirt-
ing, and enjoying life after the man
ner of girl with big, blue confding
eyes, whose dimples and freckles
seemed made for kissing, she propped
up book to read as she swallowed
her hasty meals, apart from the fam
lily If possible, studied from morning
till night, frightened the men by her
erudition, despised pets, played ten
mis- simply for exercise, rode a bicycle
so as to get quickly from one place TO
another and made all girlkind feel
themselves mere puppets and dolls.
But now had the mighty fallen.
Eugenia had purchased a dog and
given it the name of-Dimple. No
wonder that, not daring to jeer, we
were silent.
However, when the dog arrived, we
were Obliged to admit that he justified
his name. Of all the dear, roly poly
litt1a doc haT,iac tbot avor cow D;r,o
pie was the most fascinating, and the
very first wag of his tail excused Eu-
genia's backsliding. Not that she re-
allied her lapse from the intellectual.
She held and petted and caressed the
small object as if it had been her daily
occupation ever since the day of her
leaving school-that time at which
girls are apt to develop their weak
nesses-and was sublimely uncon-
scious of our smiles and gibes. Eu-
genia, flushed and intent, her pretty,
yellow hair twisting itself into thous-
ands of pretty rings, her brows knit
ted, one hand smoothing the fur of the
four-footed baby, the other busily en-
gagged in writing out her paper on me-
diaeval political economy, was a sight
for the gods
When Dimple grows up" aunty had
foolishly said one day, apropos OF
nothing, and Eugenia had turned up
on her with lofty scorn and informed
her that the engaging morsel, at mat
moment busy in the demolition of one
of my newest and longest evening
gloves, would never grow any more,
the man from whom she bought him
having assured her that he had quite
completed that part of his education
Which, doubling, we were neverlne-
less silent
Two or three days after this mistake
of aunty's, Dan came out to dinner
and deeply annoyed Eugenia by pick
ing up the soft mass of fur by his
neck and remarking:
when this fellow gets over being q
puppy, it'll be quite dog, Eugenia,
He is not puppy, Dan, he is full
grown our cousin responded, Jelly
and then with some asperity, 81 have
no sort of tolerance for puppies-o
any kind"
My brother threw back his hand
some head and laughed low, bu
heartily.
May [ inquire the age of your full
grown dog, my cousin?"
HE was six months old when
bought him, two months ago."
Eight months oldt You dear it'll
goose, if he is one-half that | shall b.
astonished. He was probably jus
weaned when you got him, and thes
mastiffs''-
He isn't a mastiff.
Indeed! And what is he?"
"A Sicilian poodle"
"O-O-h!"
The peal of laughter which greete
this dignified response was quite to
much for Eugenia. She picked up he
dog and departed, red with indigna
ton, leaving Dan, the only person
the world who ever dared to tease he
to apologize to aunty, be by her fol
given, and, l fear, encouraged to re
peat his offense.
From that time we noticed thu
Eugenia was more or less uneas.
Once | caught her holding aunty
yard measure suspiciously near Din
pie. but she dropped it at once upo
my approach. After few weeks thel
was no use Disgusting the fact. Tn;
full grown dog was rapidly increasir
in siZe-indeed, he seemed to enlars
during his slumbers and wake up
full size bigger than when he wei
TO sleep.
1t began with his legs, which SO e.