The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-10-04
THE ANNEXATION OF CUBY.

A new humorist. Miss Alice Caldwell
Hogan, contributes to the Century
short story about the physical salvation
of horse.
The Wiggses lived in the Cabbage
Patch. 1t was not a real cabbage patch,
but queer neighborhood where ram
shackle cottages played hop-scotch over
| the railroad tracks. The Wigs family
consisted of Mrs. Wigs and five chill
dren. The boys were named Jimmy and
Billy, but it was Mrs. Wigs boast that
her three little girls had geography
names. First came Asia, then Australia.
When the last baby arrived, and Billy
stood looking down at the small bundle,
he had asked anxiousiy: Are you goin'
to have it fer boy or girl, map Mrs.
Wigs had answered: "a girl, Billy, and
her name is Europena.'
Hard work and strict economy were
necessary in the little household. Mrs.
Wigs took in washing, Jim worked at
they could
The direct road to fortune. however.
according to Billy's ideas, could best he
travelled in kindling wagon, and while
he was the proud possessor Of broken
down wagon, sole relic Of the late MIR.
Wigs. he had nothing to hitch to it:
Scarcely & week passed that he did net
agitate the question, and as Mrs. Wigs
often said:
when Billy Wigs done set his mead
to a thing he's as good as got it, :,
Consequently she was, not surprised
when he rushed breathlessly into the
kitchen one evening about supper-timc.
and exclaimed in excited tones:
Ma, I've got a horse! He was havin'
fit on the commons. an they was gon'
to shoot him, an l asst the man to give
him to me-
with a fit horse?; asked his mother.
"'Cause I knowed you could cure aim.
The man said if 1 took him I'd have to
pay fer cartin' away mis- carcass; but l
said all right, I'll take him anyway.
Come on. ma. an see him" And Billy
hurried back to his new possession.
Mrs. Wigs pinned a shawl over her
head and ran across the commons: A
group of men stood about the writhlng
animal, but the late owner had departed.
Hes most gone" said one Of the men
as she came up. Il tole Billy you'd beat
him fer takin' that ole nag often the
mans HAMS
well, l won't said Mrs. Wigs,
stoutly. 'Billy Wigs s GOT more sense
than most men know. That hoss's car
cass is worth somethn'. l spect he'd
bring bout two dollars dead an mebbe
more Twin. Anyway, I'm goin' to save
him if there's any save to him.
She stood with her arms on her hips
and critically surveyed her patient. III
tell you what's the matter with him.
was her final diagnosis; ''his lights is riz.
Bill, I'm going home fer some medicine.
You set on his head SOS he can't git up,
an mall be right back in minute"
the horse shot began to disperse, for it
was supper time. and there was nothing
to see now but the poor suffering horse
with Billy Wigs patiently sitting on his
head.
large marble. "This here is a calomeI
pill she explained. Il jes rolled the
calomel in with some soft light bread.
Now you prop his jaw open with a little
stick, an I'll shove it in: then hole his
head back, while pour down some wa
ter an turkentine outen this bottle
1t was with great difficulty that this
was accomplished, for the old horse had
evidently seen vision of the happy
| hunting ground and was loath to return
to the sordid earth. His limbs were al
ready stiffening in death, and only the
whites Of his eyes were visible. Mrs.
Wigs noted these discouraging symp-
toms, and saw that violent measures
were necessary.
"Gether some sticks an build fire
quick as you kin. I've got to run over
| home. Build it right up clost to him,
Billy; we've got to git him bet up"
She rushed into the kitchen, and taking
| several cakes of tallow from the shelf,
threw them into a tin bucket. Then she
| hesitated for a moment. The kettle Of
soup was steaming away on the stove,
ready for supper. Mrs. Wigs did not
believe in sacrificing the present need to
| the future comfort. She threw in lib
| eral portion of DeDDer and Selling the
kettle in one hand, and the bucket Of tai