The Advocate and news., 1899-03-08

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On one Of the very coolest, snowiest
days last week, returning home from
visit, was stopped at the front door
by tiny dog, shivering with the cold.
He was such a pitlful spectacle could
not pass him by and shut him out in the
cold He looked very grateful and
thanked me so earnestly in his dog
fashion when he felt the warmth of the
fire that / could not help but feel glad
had let him come into the house. But
knew that was "in for 1t" because once
In and having taken a taste Of the hos
pitality which the house offered he would
never leave it, for 1t was evident he had
no home OK his own to care to return to.
/ knew that from that moment on, the
concentrated indignation of the house
hold would be upon me, for 1t was such
an old story for stray dogs to come to
us, and in fact there were three others
there already. And each in turn would
wear It's welcome quite threadbare.
Come here, poor little fellow" said
to him when / had taken my wraps off.
"You are getting warm at last, aren't you,
little straggler? And you can stay here
and keep warm until this awful blizzard
Is over. / cannot help 1t II they do all
raise fuss over you so there" And he
had come up and was rubbing his little
head against my dress, and the little tail
illustrated what perpetual motion meant
"Who In this world are you talking to-
Margaret or If not some one OF this world
whON in the other world for / don't see
anybody. You must be carrying on q
spirit communication"
"Oh, Just see what 1t Is, Aunt Mary a
poor little dog that was out In che cold
this awful" But was able to proceed
no further for my aunts appraised hands
and look of horror arrested me and
hastened to ask her II there was anything
| could do for her and II there was any
thing the matter, but in truth l knew
what the matter was, knew the symp7
toms, had seen them so often before.
What Is the matter, she said; why
the same that has been the matter ever
since can remember you as little girl,
your terrible failing, your dreadful and
all direful weakness, Margaret, bringing
useless common stray animals home to
bein the way What are you going to do
with 1t and all the others besides?" l
did not feel meek, but tried to look Vt,
for | knew she wanted me to, but
braced myself to say, HE was freezing
to death, almost frozenl" which was
an exaggeratiOn
II see that 1t is no earthly use, may as
well stop trying to reform you, for this
house will always be a menagerie as long
as there are hungry, cold dogs in this
world IL is hopeless to make you see the
folly Of your persistent ways" With
this parting declaration to me my kind
hearted but exasperated aunt turned her
back on me and walked out OF the sitting
room. She drew up her rocking chair
and resumed her work Of patching, but
/ could tell that and my unhappy inch-
nations were not yet OF her mind be-
cause she could not refrain from an oc-
casional sigh. l was relieved that the
little dog had not been ordered out OF the
house instanter upon ITS discovery, so at
least could keep him, that was q battle
won In itself. / took him out to the
kitchen to feed him, and we passed
through the room where Aunt Mary was
sitting with two OF my other pets at her
feet. The new little dog looked at them