Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-11-19

sleepy, he would browse. too.
in bed at night, though, he but a
mixed blessing. Undeniabiy companion and
charm against burglars, nevertheless as a
bedfeiiow INDUCED in Certain thoughtlessnesses
which you could gladly have dispensed with. For
instance. his initial dream was always about cats
and he would chase them not only with agonlzed
whispered oarKs but with frantic running motion of
his hino legs, which members. being invariably
plastered against your tender young stomach, all
but vivisected you. waking, very much ashamed OF
himself, he would wetly dab an apologize kiss up
your cheek and drop to sleep again. Lulled
you slept too then the next thing you knew you
we're on the floor, Pat. getting hot, had braced
his feet against the wall and showed you into
That dimcuity adjusted along toward the middle of
the night Pat used to make point OF remember
ing an ancient between his toes, and
sitting heavily upon portion OF your
anatomy he would snuhie and snafne and humble
those toes for hours at time keeping you from
due and desired slumber. And always at four
O'Clock in the morning he heard robbers and would
bark himself of his feet as to tumble the entire
length of the stairs from top to bottom, yelping all
the time and too excited to know that he had fall
en-, glad OF the miracle Of being at the front door
under which he could sniff and whine to his hearts
content Next, he would come bounding back in
high gee to let you in the joke, too, standing
ecstatically you to tell you 1t only the
usual milkman after all.
Not but what Pats idiocy could be blessing at
times. You remember OF the muscular
spasm, fatally resemb bling grim which elected to
attack your miserable face when you we're being
scolded and actually frightened stiff? This
spasm good for box the ear nine days In
the week in the anti-Pat period; but after he
rived he always had the celestial Kindness to
cat. approximately at the very moment
otohI ~ - Dt,-tp~
pretext for anguished smile and preserving you
from being stigmatized brazen criminal who
took amusement in his vileness
And then when you were out OF the danger belt
and Off for the uninhab ited safety of a vacant
lot, what actual relief glowed from his face!
The snuggle Of his cold nose into your palm
the signal of release for all your black and bitter
fances, and with whoop and jump you answer
ed to his pressing invitation to throw dull care
away. How long did you have him? You cannot
possibly say Those boyhood days stretched like
fairy tale from long adventure to another and
time measured not by hours but by experiences
which came four million to a minute. You can
remember Pat and snowballs, Pat and spring pic
MICS, Pat and school. Pat and vacation: consequent
ly you had him for the length of a good round life
time, and felt that he belonged to existence
inevitably as night and day. You drew your breath
without effort and without effort there was Pat
always bounding beside you. you analysed no fur
Their and took hiru everlastingly for granted.
Then day---will you forget it?-yot went
schoolward as far your garden gate and woke up
to the fact that you alone. There was no
painting scutre in your wake, no admonishing yelps
from decreasing distance. commotion In the
underbrush, TO signify that the rest of you
hUrrying to catch up. You recalled with
cold sinking of your heart that Pat had not
pushed under the breakfast table that morning So
you whistied and called and wandered, worried
back toward the house little. Then he skunk
langudIy out from under the bed his head hang
ing, his dragging, but his loyal stump of a tail
essaylng to wag, striving to say: Never mind me,
old fellow; I'm not very mt this morning. Just go
along without for once, won't you old chap"
You patted him and shook hands with him. heart
ening him that crawIed to the gate only to lie
down there, his nose in the grass, his eyebrows
moving anxiously. his brave bit Of tail bufing 1t
right royalty.
That interminable day at school is horror that
that will go with you to the grave. Missed lessons
and accommodating punshments. usually the DON'T
nant factors in your sum Of daily suffering faded
into trvialities anxously did you keep listening
for the sound of joyous bark. Four o'clock, the
hour of for the pure IN heart, meant moth
ing for you. You always had to stay at least half
hour and write II have whispered" two hundred
times: and then you had to stay another half hour
and put in the III
But released how you flew down the road.
Yet the very fear which spurred you on seemed
to pull you back. Generally your first mad dash
bee line from the school door to your pan
try shelf where you hungrily bolted down every
thing which might be legitmately called yours and
gnawed illegitimatey around the edges Of such
thnga as were intended for temperance on the
family table. But to-day you had thought OF
food. You dreaded to reach home, for all the
haste you made to get there And there was nc
comrade in the garden. You knew the worst righ
then, even without searching further. and II you,
betrayed the haggardness Of your heart you
must have been ptiful little sight.
Yes, Pat where you thought he would be- un
der the shed, and he dead
Now, you dead things often enough be-
fore had come them In field and wood and
had investigated them with interest the more dead
the thing, the intricate your interest; but
things had had any attributes for you in life
consequently they had practically never existed
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