The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1903-11-05

iil l.. VI. III UNN.

bh L.. VI. W UNN'
boxer was blrd-dug, or wes
destined to be one wheH he grew up As
yet he was just big. funny looking.
anXiou5-to-plcasc, lUyab.e puppy Uncle
red said he would 10 worth Il hundred
iu.lars at,er he WAS trained; and InrC
fcG ought 10 KNOW, tor he had as many
4uGs a. tAg old woman VINO lived III the
moe had children only Uncle Ted
new ,,Aat to do There never was
man. Ben ana Laura thought who Was
as clever with dogs a. Uncle Ted.
lie never would have left Boxer at
.randmas, only telegram came very
.uGdenly calling linn away
Take good care OF the dog he sad
the last thing. and Ben aud Laura with
one voice answered we will!' They
were delighted to think OF having such -
lear, ridiculous puppy to play with
Uncle Ted had left him chained to
posi- but they begged their father to let
thc poor fellow loose.
why. yes" said papa laying aside
his paper The farm is big enough to
hold him / guess: and even II he does
tet into mischief ! think We can man
age him"
When Boxer saw them coming, he
wigglcd and friskrd til his tail almos!
touched his head.
"Wufl WIZ" he barkod In his funny
puppy way. which was to say: Let me
loose Let me loose! what's the use
Of being on lovely big farm If you have
to be hitched to a post by stupid old
chain"
You should have seen him when he
heard the chain drop! He bounded on
and then back again upset Ben in com
cal excitement ieapod up 10 give
Laura a Kiss. and there igro telling what
he would have done ucX' If he hadn't
caught sight of some chickens scratch
ing away in the lower-hed
R-r-wuf! And in a twinlling he had
chased the last one out.
"Dcary me- calculated grandma.
from the window III We had dog as
smart as that my sweet peas might have
a chance TO bloom"
III WASH AlAlllFilN W '''''' i'''''
rhucklcd papa. "lt's Just because hesa
hird-dog. He'd chase anything with
feathers ,Ill he's trained, II It were only
an old stuffed OWL"
! The children listened with respect and
admiration, for papa knew almost as
| much about dogs as Uncle Ted,
They had a delightful afternoon with
Boxer and hc begged on SO when they
! took him back to the post that they de
cided to leave him loose.
Next morning there were seven little
green gos!lngs missing at feeding-time
they found them at last, scattered along
at the edge Of the pond-all dead!
"Oh. dear!" walled the children. dis
tracted between grief for the goslings
and pity for the guilty pup In the pun
ishment that was sure to ovortake him.
Why didn't we chain him up? Oh what
will papa do?"
What papa did do was to gather UP
the goslngs and arrange them in pile.
with their poor limp ne,kS all dropping
one way Then he sent for Boxer.
Naughty dog" he said. sternly
pointing to the goslings. Bad, bad
dog"
Then he whipped him
Poor Boxer. He looked at the gos-
ilngs, and he looked al papa, and II there
ever was II penitent puppy, II was he
His brown eyes shone with tears, and
he licked papas hand and whined So
aorrowfully that 1t was all the children
could do to keep from throwing their
arms about his nerl and telling him not
90 feel sad any mGre-that 1t didnt
matter. anyhow.
There could not have been a better
dog than Boxer was that day. The fam.
ly thought him more wonderful crea'
rure than ever. He seemed so delighted
/ whenever he pleased anyone, and was
I so heartbroken when he blunderod, that
no one really had the heart to scold hin
very much.
\ So that night they let him loose again
b convinced that the lesson had beer
learned.
Next morning before breakfast hi
came bounding up icyfully to papa.
"Wuf! Wuf," he said, as expressive
ly as If he had said: Come with me
3 Come, everybody"
Everybody came Boxer frlsked alonI
., proudly at the head OF the procession
Q and led them straight to the duck pond
"Wufl Wuf! he barked again. Jus
= see how did 1t this time"
10 There on the bank were seven NOR
st little dead gosings. arranged neatly i
A pile. with their bills all pointing on
way!
d We'll never" began grandmi
7, But papa suddenly stopped over an
3 patted Boxer on the head.
,e Good doggy he exclaimed in
to queer, shaking kind OF voice. An
then: Don't you zee what he's done
He thought whipped him ali becaus
a he didn't put them In pile! Good dol
4 gy! Yes-sir-ee! Nice old fellow!"
a "Wuf!" barked Boxer. wagging a
IN most double for JOY.
1t Ia doubtful II any OF the goslini
would have lived to become geese
Is Uncle Ted had not come that afternoc
OF TO take Boxer home. And the next tin
en- he visited the farm he was much Il
Al, wise dog to chase barn-yard fowls
any kind.--St Nicholas.