The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-26
WILLIE-A PET LAMB.

It is seldom that ! have had either the time or the inclination to study do- mestic animals, least of all have ever desired to emuate Mary, whose historic pet was long since converted into mutt ton. However. there are some things in this world which we get whether we want them or not; sometimes it's sometimes it's a lamb.
 Many miles from here, away across Croydon Mountain, there's a farm, and on the farm flock of sheep. Early in the spring, a big Shropshire eve had three lambs, and like many another parent, found that she had more chill dren than she could properly care for. Her owner, Willie, a kindly-hearted young Scotchman, at once looked about for a good home for the extra baby, and for some reason it came my way; though, had I been in his place, I should never have picked the owner of five wolves, @ fox and black bear as guardian for such woolly atom of helpless innocence as a newborn lamb. But over the mountain he was carried, one chilly April day, and, as the man who brought him was not as careful as he might have been, the infant caught cold from which he almost died,
 I confess that, when he arrived, I was not overjoyed at being made re- sponsible for his physical and moral welfare, but after looking him over I decided to keep him, for the present at least. He was very ungainly as to figure being chiefly legs, and absurdly thin. His body was covered with short kinky white wool, which was rather rough to the touch, and his face was one large smudge of brown, and had that comical expression which reasonable amount of dirt usually gives to the face of child. He was entered on the books as Willie Smith, I called him Willie" because that was
  Smith" because-well, because when have a particularly nice animal to name, like to honor my friends, and in no other way that I knew of could I honor so many of them at once.
 As I said, Willie with a bad cold. and in spite of the fact that we were con- tinually picking out warm corners for him, and feeding him on the warmest milk he would drink, for long time the little fellow appeared as one beloved of the gods. He would lie down with closed eyes for hours at a time, to get up at last and wander aimlessly about, only to lie down a little later. When he first came, he would take good deal of warm milk, but the amount fell off until he would hardly take any. He just sniffed it, shook his head and turned away
 Even as early as this, we discovered that Willie had mind of his own. If he didn't want a thing, he knew it, and unlike many other animals I have seen, he could not be coaxed into taking it. If he took a drink of milk, all right; but if he once turned up his nose at it, one night just as well let him alone, for he wouldn't touch another drop if 1t vas kept in front of him all day He became so thin and weak he seemed in constant danger of falling over his own shadow. Why he didn't die no one has yet explained; but perhaps it was because about this time he began to nibble a few blades of grass-enough. probably, to keep the spark of life in his skinny little body Gradually, he paid more and more attention to grass, and before long he was busy almost the whole day long, sauntering about the garden and along the roadsides, picking out the choicest bits he could find. Wild flowers seemed to have a. great attraction for him, and he carefully picked off each one as he came to 1t. One day a neighbours boy came run ming to tell me that Willie had been hurt, since there was large swelling on his side, evidently the result of a. blow. I went out to look at the lamb, and saw the swelling, but also noticed that there was a similar swelling on the other side of his body. He had eaten
 
 greatly distended, and he was so flat and thin everywhere else, that the con- dition of his abdomen seemed abnormal
 He showed little affection for any one at this time: in fact he was alto gether too busy feeding to think of affection. Moreover, he would not per- init familiarity on the part of any one. If he saw fit to come up and sniff at my clothing, well and good; but if I walked towards him with the intention of caressing him. he would have none of it, but would scamper off and go to feeding at a safe distance. At the same time, he did not like to be left quite alone; he preferred to have some of us in sight. and often, if he loked up and found that we had all gone away, he would bleat, or attempt to do so, with his mouth so full of grass that very little sound escaped,