The Press., 1915-12-29
.TOmLaWrenceS|
Christmas Gift !
Ii Was Given at q Later ;
Christmas to Toms
Son. ;
By ESTHER VANDEvEER

Lawrence, aged seven, had remained
awake so long the evening before,
watching for Santa Claus to come
down the chimney, that he awakened
late. Harf opening his eyes, he looked
dreamily at the ceiling and closed
them again A sound came up from
below that caused him to open them
he had never heard before in that
house
"Bowwowy'
A dog! There could be no mistake
n sure. certain dog. Tommy's eyes
lighted with a glad expectancy. Could
It be that for a Christmas present he
was to have a little pet barker? OF
all things, he crayed real live pet.
and OF all live pets dog. He gave
kick. The covers went over the foot
board, and he bounded out OF bed. He
was looking for the first piece of cloth
ing to put ON when
"Bow-wow- Bow-wow wow
wow-wowr'
This was too much for him. He
his nightie. In the dining room he
found his brother. Fred, a boy of four
teen, teasing a pup. Tommy stood
looking from the boy to the dog in
expectant wonder. Just them his ia
Their came INTO the room.
Hello. Tomr' be exclaimed. You
down already? You weren't expected.
81 fu ~ n -
as well tell you that this little puppy
Is to be your principal Christmas gift.
What do you think OF him?"
What Tom thought of the dog he
could not possibly express I'm words,
10 he said nothing; but, going to the
dog. he laid a hand on him. Then he
patted him Then he put both arms
around him and drew his cheek against
his own Finally Tom asked:
whats his manner
"Oh, since he is your dog you shall
give him his name. What do you
think of Spot?''
~ don't know" replied Tommy, still
apparently lost in wonder whether 1t
could really be true that he had a pet
dog.
"or TripT'
IF he's a hunting dog" suggested
Fred. Il think Pointer q good name"
Suppose we make 1t WadT' said
the father. when 1 was a boy and
we didn't have cartridges we used to
ram wadding down into the barrel OF
the gun to keep the powder and shot
In place Which shall ii be, Tom,
Spot or Trip or Pointer or wad?''
Tom couldn't possibly decide so mo
mentous a question on such short no
tice, but somehow the family fell to
calling the dog wad, and his little
master made 1t waddie. The Law
renee home stood in the center of
large grounds, and Waddie had plenty
OF room to roam-that Is, he would
have when the weather warmed up.
for, being nothing but a puppy, he
needed to be kept warm He was
thoroughbred. and Tommy was oblig-
ed for awhile to yield In the matter Of
his treatment and his diet to others.
Tom would have fed him on cake and
candy had he been permitted. with an
occasional feast OF some highly sea
soned meat. He was much distressed
when told that his pet must for the
present have nothing but milk.
Tom and wad grew up together.
Tom regarded Christmas as the dogs
birthday. and 1t was celebrated &C
cordingly. Every Christmas a cake
was made and at dinner a candle for
each one OF wad's birthdays put into
the icing. Tom ate the cake. and
wad was given some choice bones that
had been saved for the purpose. As
soon as the dog was old enough to be
trained to hunt he was taken out by
competent person and taught the art
of assisting the huntsman- This gave
Tom a desire to have a gun that be
might utilize his dog, and when he
was twelve years old his father con-
scented that he should have one and
accompany an experienced sportsman
on a hunt. The second season 1t was
found impossible to prevent Toms go
ing out with his dog and his gun unat-
tended.
ed, Tom insisted on going to where
there was some kind Of game that
he might increase the variety Of the
viands for the Christmas dinner. His
hunting ceased about the list Of No
vember and was resumed a few days
before Christmas. When, on a crisp
December morning, Tom went out, with
belt strapped about him, and called.
wad, the dog. seeing the parapherna-
liza. went Wild with Joy.
When Tom was eighteen years old
and I'm the prime OF his youth Wad
was about twelve and growing very
old for a dog. Still he was a beautiful
animal and had always been coveted
for his pure blood. He had been stol-
en- several times, but had either found
a way to get back to his master or had
been returned for a reward. One day.
In his old age, he disappeared, and,
when several weeks had passed and
he had not returned, his master re-
fuctantly gave him up, thinking that
he had met with some injury which.
On account OF old age, perhaps had en-
Ished him.
One morhing Tom was looking over
the pictures OF fashionable women In
q newspaper, and his attention was ar
rested by picture of a pretty girl
standing beside a dog. Underneath
was printed, Miss Irene Fleetwood and
Her Prize Winner"
IF that isn't wad," remarked Tom
70 himself, 1T must be his brother. 1t
seems that IL l should call him he
would jump for me"
There was a short paragraph about