The Washington herald., 1908-05-24
How brief a Wills the tickle world
To any IDOLS true.
They call Il Copenhagen" now
That once was Alice blue.
Has Family Tree Fixed.

Has Family Tree Fixed.
Out on Columbia Heights the other day
I met a woman I know. alternately lead
ing and led by an Irish setter pup. The
two had tug Of war at the door Of a
butchers shop. and when the lady had
set on its unsteady legs an infant the
pup had upset. she caught my gaze.
rs that your dog?" l asked. apparently
inferring nothing from the fact that she
was at one end of the leash and the dog
at the other
1T is" she answered. obviously ignor-
ing the insinuatlon that she had come by
the dog dishonesty. do you want 20
talk about 1t like womans magazine
o. like a human?"
! signifed my desire 70 be human.
Because" she went on, I've just had
two hours Of the magazine talk from my
sister-in-law. and I'm tired. You know
how 1t goes. If want something TO Law
fish my affection on. why don't take one
of the poor, love-starved little waits from
the asylum? Why don't l get dimpled
little orphan and give it a good home? L d
like 10 write a piece about why ! don't.
but nobody'd print anything so un-mater-
nal and hard-hearted. This dogs the
only thing I've ever had In the world
that could lavish affection ON. I have
three children, but l had 10 treat them
wisely. and bring them up carefully. and
not spoil them. and train them and be
sensible with them. The youngest's four
teen now. and you know yourself they're
all splendldly brought up.
II can beat this dog just exactly as I
please. In the first place. l know what
he's going TO be. He'll be a thoroughbred
Irish setter when he's grown. I don't have
to worry over his turning out a bulldog.
and ! don't have 20 curb terrier tenden-
cies in him. You do with children. you
know.
My grandmother was a Miggs and my
husbands grandmother was a Briggs.
and there are Spriggses and Sniggses and
Higgses In the family tree and l hadn't
any way OF knowing what my children
would be Ike. II was hard enough know
ing the Briggs and Sniggs and Wiggs
tendencies. What II would be like with
waif without known family tree I'd
be afraid 20 say My dog IS ali one kind
OF dOg-not mixed like a child You
can count on him. When he's sick send
him 10 the dog man and don't worry
can teach him 10 mind with a switch. and
! don't have 20 explain that IL hurts me
worse 10 whip him than Il does hiE..
don't feel the least responsibility about
him. He can associate with mastiffs and
cats and ours and go right on being
entirely an Irish setter. 1 can pet him
all one day and keep him out f. the back
yard all the next without hurting his dis
position at all. He amuses me whenever
l want 10 be amused. There may have
been time when a mother could lavish
affection on q child. but she can't now.
with germs and ideas in the air. and the
cry for desirable citizens worrying her
Of nights. When a woman has put in
twenty years OF honest work and earnest
endeavor for her children and their health
and their happiness and their futures. she
needs something she can love and not
worry about. My dog hasn't any future
TO think Of. He's just q dog and I'm
entitled 10 attach myself TO him without
having magazine talk slammed in my
face"