Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-20
THE DoG.DREAM.

enough to show the changing shapes of
clouds. 1t had been Il good day. Les
sons had been easier than usual, and
teacher had read them a story of some
naughty little boys WHO had thrown a
dog into the water and aimed stones at
it, and a good little boy had saved its
lie. And the dog had then loved him
ever after. The other boys came out of
school and went down the road, shouting
and larking. To ALI it seemed better to
go home the longer way. by the high
rallied tarry path through the gas works,
and to be, all the way, the hero of that
story. He saw himself, proud and de-
fant, standing up to those other boys
| six at least; there must have been six.
Teacher had said "a number of boys"
Standing up to them determined" so
the story had run, 'fto put an end to
their cruel sport" He saw the number
of boys" "eowed by his brave demeanor."
He saw the pond on the heathhe had
/ instantly visualzed that as the scene
Of the heroic act-the pond by the Hare
and Billet, saw himself wading into the
water ankle deep, knee-deeep, then swim
ming; he must learn to swim. He felt
in a sudden thrill the rapture of the mo-
ment when he caught the dog-he pie
tured it acquiescing gratefully i'll the res
cue-and swan back to shore with it in
his arms. He heard the approving shouts
of the crowd on the bank, even the lot
of bad boys "applauding the noble BRAY
cry of their late enemy" The words
stuck in his head. Perhaps because he
had not words of his own. He was a
timid, silent mouse of child.
| The contemplation of this imagined
heroism stirred him to the core. And
the dog lowing him ever after'-that
opened new heaven. He felt the warm,
shaggy body between shirt and jacket;
he could carry the dog about with him as
1 Abe Toovey's father carried the bull pup.
He felt the cold, damp nose snuggled
against his neck, the warm tongue lick
ing his ears. The dog would love him
ever after. And here he lost himself in
a higher heaven still. How he would
love the dog! How he would teach it
tricks, patiently, kindly. No beatings.
He would have half his dinner for it,
the half of breakfast and supper, too, if
such were the needs of the beloved. The
dream lasted till the end of the gas
works, there to break suddenly, like a
soap bubble.
His aunt would never let him keep a
deg-never. But suppose he saw the
dog drowning, what could he do? Save
it, and desert it? Never. The problem
Irouted the dream.
! He got home late for tea, and his aunt
warmed his ears for him." customary
ritual involving but slight and heeting
emotion on either side.
where you been, Ell? Don't come no
| falsehoods over me, my man. Out with
it. Playing along of them dirty board
school boys, I'll be bound. Which way
did you come homer"
"Gas works." said the child.
what was you doing?"
"Nothing!"
"There you CO." said the aunt, pushing
his bread and butter across the clean
brown and mauve of the oilcloth covered
table. Nothing That's you all over,
that is! If you can't do nothing else,
should think you'd think about your
blessings. Many a orphan hasn't got a
kind aunt to come home to, nor yet a
tea. How'd you like to be a workus
hoy ?"
ALI knew that his aunt kept a clean
house and a clean name in a world where
both were rare. He was grateful, be-
cause he was not, as he well might have
4
he found to say was:
81 dunno.'
There's gratitude said the aunt, and
shifted
ALT, silent, munehed; drank gurglingly
from blue and white mug; put his arm
across his chest in the place where in the
dream the dog had lain. Speech was al
ways difficult to him. He spoke when
he was spoken to.
He had not found it possible to love
his aunt, And there was no one else in
his world. In books boys loved their
teachers. ALI was not in a book
He took the dream to bed with him.
Oh! if he could only have taken the dog,
alive, warm, responsive, loving and be-
loved!
The dream was there when he awoke.
He took it with him to school; and, out
of school, played with it near all the
water he could find. By the Ravens
bourne and the Quaggy, by the ponds on
the Heath, dogs he saw a-plenty. and
boys. But the boys were just boys that
played and the dogs were happy. bark
ing and splashing, bounding into the
water of their own free, gay will, climb
ing out again with agile blunt -clawed
feet, to bedew the bank and the onlook
ers with the scattered spray of their
shakings.
IF only could have a chance" he
said. Then the boys at school should
see "Cowardly Custard," they called
him because he was appalled, by the
giant stride, and Miss Num-" because
he had no words, and the swings made
him sick. I'D like them to be there
when pulled the dog out" he said. and
pictured their faces He had not learned
to swiu-the water did not seem deep
enough to make that worth while. The
chance to save the dog was what he
longed for. And the chance came. Not
exactly as he had pictured it, But then
our chances seldom do.
1t came one day by the little river,
running full now and swollen with two
weeks of heavy summer rain. The
child, haunting the waterside as usual.
saw boy, well dressed disacreeable
looking boy, dragging rough brown dog
by string. The dogs long hair fell