Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-07-18
VIE was a young dog, but he
I'll looked like an old one.
s7Ss Wearily shambling along the
street. he stared hungrily ut

l II Is "
s7Sss YEARLY shambling along the
s6ifaW street, he stared hungrily ut
| the grocers' tempting windows. Oh
for Il taste-not of the hams and the
| tongues, but of the salted herring, the
| creamy Goldfish, the glistening heaps of
| smelts in their wicker baskets!
All winter he had supported himself
in the most miserable of ways. Now
| spring was coming, and he was tired
out-So very, very tired.
The dogs Of this Canadian city knew
| that he was a stranger and had fought
him continuously. There were certain
streets, the best streets for pickings,
| that he dared not enter. The shopping
! streets were not good ones for scrap
boxes and barrels of rubbish, and he
had become hungry-very hungry-and,
stopping short, he sat down ON the
frosty pavement and looked disconso-
lately about him.
No home. no master-and he had been
brought up like a baby. These well
dressed Persons contemptuously avoid
| ed the place where he sat. He was
dirty, and there We're sore spots Oh
him where he had been bitten. Ladies
drew their skirts aside; children start
ed back in alright from his lean and
| shaggy form. One little girl called
him sheep. Another said, Look,
| mamma, at the funny WOLF.
Poor, sad eyed dog! He was almost
at the end of his power of endurance,
but he did not know it. He thought he
would Just lie down here on the hard
pavement in sight of the delicious NOR
sells in the windows, and when he was
rested he would move on, on in his end
less quest for food.
lie curled himself up in ball. his
tired eyes were just Distinguishing in
Il sleep which if begun would never
have ended-when he was reused by
an exclamation: Hello, dog! You look
beat out"
He raised his head. A tall lad was
standing over him, an overgrown lad
with twinkling eyes, a thin jacket and
bare hands thrust into his pockets to
keep them warm.
The dog attempted to get on his feet.
This was the first kind word he had
heard for many a day, but, strangely
enough, his legs doubled under him
whenever he tried to stand on them.
"Blest if he isn't played out" pur-
sued the boy. Cant you stand up,
dog? Come, try again"
The animal did try again; his lip
curled back in feeble dog smile, but
the strength was all gone out of his
limbs, and, gazing UP helplessly into
the lads face, he seemed to say, Its
| of no use-better let me alone"
"Crlckyw observed the boy. isn't
| he queer looking? l believe he's an In
dian dog. Some old Micmac from the
camps has brought him into the city
and deserted him. They often do when
| food Is scarce out there. Poor brute.
| He hasn't been able to pick up much OF
a living in the streets, and he's starv-
ing to death. How much of the need
full have | about me:' And he drew
| one red hand from his pocket. Three
cents-not a fortune; still enough to
buy sodas. say. mister and he en-
tered nearby grocery, "give me j
cents worth Of crackers"
The grocer tossed the boy bag, and
he slipped out to the dog.
Here. old man, eat some"
The dog put out his pink tongue and
licked feebly at the crackers. What
| was the matter with him: He wanted
| to eat them, yet he could not.
I'll tell you what, dog" said the boy
briskly. you're most ut the end Of
your tether. You want hot stuff inside
| YOU. Come on home with me. If you
stay here it's all up with you. y police
man will catch YOU; then it's shot in
that wolfy head of years and the bot
tom of the harbor. III help you
The dog was absolutely unable to
move. and the boy bent over him.
Confederation! What Il smell! l
guess you don't know what the inside
of a bath looks like. However. I'd be
dirty, too. if I'd never been washed,
ana I'm not going to see dog 80 un-
der, if he doesn't smell us sweet as a
rose. Here yOu go" And, taking the
weary beast in his strong young arms.
he flung him over his shoulder and
went staggering up the hill.
Every boy that he met jeered at him,
| and to every one he flung Il saucy an
swer. In their hearts, he knew, they
were sympathiAing, and if it had not
been close upon mealtime he would
have had following of approving
scoiicrs.
When he reached the outskirts Of the
city lie began to talk to the dog.
"Do you see that little cottHSc yon-
der, with the yard about rs big as a
pocket hanlk kcrcIief? That's where
live. Once we used to have a larger
house. but like you. I've come down in
the world. Fathers dcad-only step-ma
and me left. dog. If it weren't for her
I'd take you right in the back yard,
but it wouldn't do, dog; 1t wouldn't
do"
The dog, of course, made no response.
In weary heap he lay over the boys
shoulder. He was in good hands, and
he was content.
'Tm going to take you to the dumps,
dog" said the boy, "and in case you're
stranger and don't know what the
dumps are I'll just explain that it's the
common where the ashes from the city
are dumped. I'll find you nice warm
heap and cover something over you.
Here we are; don't make a noise" And,
cautiously sklrting the yard OF the cot
tage, he made his way over the soft,
; yielding heaps Of ashes to a spot some
distance from his home.
/ "There"-and he gently laid the dog
down-"that's a nice bed for you! Now
for roof to keep out the rain" and he
looked anxiously about. "Cricky, there's
a packing casev' And, springing up, he
ran like q deer to the place where q
large wooden box was protruding from
. heap of rubbish.
"And some sheets Of tin," he Wen,
on joyfully-"just the thing to keep
,, the rain out-and IN old barrel for o
front hall, by which you can entel
your mansion, dog" and, dragging bis