The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-02-08
MARCUS AURELIUS
Copyright. 1906. by Joreph p. Rowies)
BY HAROLD AVERY

parently lost in a deep reveris. and
wearing on his head an absurd model
OF top-hat On hearing my footsteps
he rose and shambled across the grass
to meet me, his hat (which was Sc
cured with an elastic band) cooked
knowingly over one eye.
why, you remember him." cried
the boy. This is the dog ! bought at
the farm. We call him Marcus Au-
relius because he's always meditating.
He's awfully clever; I've taught him
heaps OF tricks"
The animal sauntered up and wiped
his paws on my trousers by way OF
greeting.
Hello Mare" said his master. "Sit
up"
The dog promptly topped down full
length on the grass.
~ didn't tell you TO die" cried the
boy. sit up YOU little blackguerdi
Marc. with his top-hat hanging un-
der his chin like a nose-bag. rolled
over and entertained us by dying
on his back.
That's Just like him" said the boy:
tits the easiest trick he's got; and
whenever | tell him TO do anything
else he always will die; he won't si'
up or run round after his tall
Marc having died" for what he
considered a reasonable length OF
time. now rose TO his feet and saun-
tered back to mis- meditations. this
time wearing his top-hat on the back
OF his neck. as though 1t was a sol
dier's knapsack.
What's he got that on for
why. | want him to get sccus
toned to it, because I'm going to teach
him TO wear it when he goes out into
the street"
What can he do besides die"
Well" answered the boy. Il think
he'd make a good sporting dog be
cause he's always digging holes in the
garden. and | think he's kill rats II he
had the chance ! tried him once with
a mouse that | caught in the stable.
let IL loose on the kitchen floor. and
somehow Marc lost 1t. and IL ran away
somewhere, and we couldn't find II.
and mother made an awful fuss. She
doesn't like Marc. I'm sure she doesn't.
and he isn't allowed even TO lie In
front OF the dining room fire, but al
ways has TO go into a basket. Women
never value a good dog; they don't
know one when they see him. Do they.
Marc?"
The dog-who appeared now to
have finally determined to carry his
top-hat as a chest protector-on hear
ing his name called. awoke with
start from his reveri.. and after mo-
ment's hesitation. as though he forgot
exactly how the trick began, turned
slowly over and died.
Many years have slipped away
since first saw Marcus kurelius medi'
tating on the sun-lit lawn. and though
knew him as a baby. | find him TO
be quite a gray-haired old man No
top-hat appears rakishly perched upon
his shapeless head. and he stretches
himself with perfect confidence upon
the sacred hearthrug and suffers no
rebuke.
Mare" says mother. with slight
tremble in her voice, where's your
MASTER"
The dog wags his stumpy tall. but
II is a heartless proceeding, and he
does not even raise his head. Per
haps he knows as well as we do that
wide seas roll between himself and
Australia. and long before the boy VIII
ever think OF crossing them again.
Marcus Aurelius will have performed
his old trick in sober earnest and
shambled OF down that dusty pathway
trodden years ago by the family OF
juvenile porkers. the old sheepdog'
and all the other friends of his youth