The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-13

~ before they began to
~& think about the odd.
ity of the undertak-
ing it had been accomplished, and the
little fellow ruled the household from
master to maid.
It happened in this way: Dombey,
with eight brothers and sisters, was
born in sunny pen one morning IN
the early springtime. He closely re-
sembled his brothers aud sisters in
size, in his clean cut toes, in his deli
cate, sharp pointed ears, in his pretty
pink nose, in his short, curly, wiggling
tail, and last, but not least, in his
ability to squeal-perhaps the loudest
and longest of them all. But there
was one distinct mark OF difference
between him and the others-while
they were snowy white, Dombey was
Jet black, with q beautiful white star
on his forehead. -
..:;Frou the very first his mother
looked upon him with disdain. Then
the disdain grew to dislike, and the
dislike to a hatred which almost
caused poor Dombey's death. No one
knew the reason. They surmised,
however, that on account of his SOM
bre coat be appeared to his mother an
angel of darkness rather than of light.
When he was only three days old
he was taken into the house and laid
in basket which stood in corner, Of
the old fashioned kitchen, near the
fireplace. Then his paradise began.
He was fed with sweet milk out OF q
tiny bottle. He was washed and
rubbed and brushed every morning.
His ears grew very soft and silky un-
der this constant care, and everybody
loved to rub them and fondle them.
Domney took kindly to all the pet.
ting he received. Why shouldn't he?
The germs of love are planted in the
heart of every little animal, whatever
his station in life. And Dombey did
more. He tried to show the family
that he appreciated the love and care
bestowed upon him, and this end in
view, when he played under the apple
trees, in the orchard, he would bring
the best apple he could find and lay it
as an offering at the feet of his mis-
tress. He always waited, too, for her
to pick it up. and rub his ears, and
tell him what a good little pig he was!
Then his curly tail would wiggle with
Joy and he would start out again to
play.
One member of the family had been
made unhappy by Dombey's coming
that was Nero, the great black New.
foundland, whose home the farm had
been for two years. During all these
months Nero had been the most i'm
portant parsonage of the household,
and he did not take kindly at all to
the little pig. He even felt certain
amount of contempt for his mistress
that she should be interested in so
plebeian an object as a pig, and a
black pig at that. Who before had
ever heard of any one ever making a
household pet of pig! He certainly
never had, and 10 dog he knew had
ever told him of such happening.
He soon found that his own food
was served to him regularly. His
favorite dishes, too, were not for
gotten. He was still allowed to en-
joy his afternoon nsp by the fireplace
in the kitchen. Best of all, his mis-
tress gave him the usual attention
and caresses. Then he began to take
kindly notice of the little pig, and rs
Dombey grew larger he and Nero be-
came fast friends.
They bathed together in the Froe
Pond behind the barn every morning.
They chased the hens when they were
foolish enough to stray from shelter.
They playe:31 with apples under the
trees in the orchard. When the fall
came they worked mischief by getting
into the turnip patch and pulling uI
row after row of plants. DombeJ
would only eat them when the size
pleased his palate.
x The turnip patch adioined th'
orchard where the apple trees grew
Nosmatter how often the hired mer
patched up the wire fence, Dombe.
always eontrived to tear it down tw'
or three times a week, at least
Finally, some one discovered hov
Nero helped. He would go TO th
opposite side of the orchard, ant
running back, with full force, woul'
hurl himself against the wire fence
which strained and moved from it
fastenings, allowed Dombey, with tn
aid of his little pink nose and ~
toes, to finish the work.
Contrary to all ordinary traditions
Dombey did not love dirt. When
was rainy and muddy ne and Ner
took their exercise on the wide veran
da which surrounded three sides q