Year: 1875

lover OF nOrSes and dogs, particular y
\the latter. and his plantation was head
quarters for the lovers of the canine
race for miles around. Mr.. Thompson
had a son named William we will call
him Bill, because everybody called him
by that name.


Bill was about fourteen years of age
when the war broke out, and it inter
fered with bis fathers plans concerning
his education. However, the war
ended, and he was sent to flush his
studies at the University of Virginia.
Bill remained at the university for
about four years, and at the expiration
of that time returned to his home


The old gentleman was very proud of
Bill-indeed he had reason to be. He
had grown to be tall, elegantly formed
man, of graceful manners and genteel
appearance.


In his Joy at his sons return, Mr..
| Thompson had provided an elegant re-
| past, and the elite of society were in
] vIted TO welcome Bill home. The
I entertainment was nUmerously at
tended, aud the occasion promised to
be the one of the season, for the old
gentleman and Bill were really great
favorltes. The old mansion was
througed with youth and beauty, and
to the merry music of the dance the
hours glided swiftly away.


Bill was congratulated over and over;
but the many congratulations he re-
ceived occasioned the drinking of more
whisky than he could carry, and his
part of the reception was brought to a
close by his getting helplessly drunk,
IN which condition he was found by his
father, under one of the tables.


The niH hnuora,-
cred his resentment, taking into con-
sideratiOn that this might have been an
accident, and that it would not again
occur; but his hope was destined soon
to be dispelled, for as other fetes fol-
lowed at other places, it was found that
Bill was too fond of whisky and that he
regularly came to grief at each enter
tainment.


Mr.. Thompson was not n man to
very long tolerate such action on his
! sons part ; and one morning, after one
or BIlIs excesses, ne spoke to him con-
cerniug the matter. Bill could not
deny it, and there was a poor chance
for an apology. The old gentleman
\ became enraged at Bills silence, and
7 thus addressed him: "Bill, 1 have
raised you up as carefully as ever
child was raised. You have disgraced
me and my name l had fondly hoped
you would be al honor to me and it.
III have no more of this. You can re-
main here if you want to, and this may
be your home. You can have q horse
to ride and [ will clothe you decently
but, he added with great emphasis,
"yOu shall not hereafter get drunk,
you shalt either earn your money or
steal it.


vr~.ss IL -.
gize. The old gentleman would take
no apology. The fiat had gone forth,
and however dry his throat might be,
Bill knew there would be no retrac-
ton of his fathers words. So he
concluded to be a temperance man, but
as Is usual IN such cases, though "the
spirit was willing, the flesh was weak"


BIlIs throat soon became very dry
and annoying, and at last he made up
his mind that he must calculate upon
some plau whereby he could get drink
OF whisky.


In some of his readings B4l remem-
bered the fable of "The Wise Dogs"
and determined to profit by it. Meet
ing his father one evening, about
month after he had received the pre-
cediBg lecture, he thus addressed him:
Father, do yOu know anything about
s this colony OF Yankees down here at
the month Of the river?"


No, l don't was the reply, and a
gruf ono too, for the old man didn't
like the Yankees and didn't care to
hear any hing about them.


Well, father, they must be queer
lot. They have got schools down
there"


'Yes," thundered his father, schools
for niggers."


Wei, " replied Bill, "Iets give the
devil his due; they teach white children
too"


Yes" said the old man, "they teach
hes-they teach them lies"


Well, suppose they do" replied
Bill, "but what L was going to speak
of is that they have got school for
dogs !"


"A school for what ?"


to talk "


Come now, Bill, if you are fool
enough to believe such stuff. don't try
to make as big a fool of me Teach
dogs TO talkl They may teach them to
steal shouldn't wonder if they did,
but don't tell me about this teaching
dogs to talk "


well, now, father, respect every
word you say, replied Bill, "but am
bound as gentleman to believe what
gentlemen say and 1 nave heard sew
eaal talking about it. Really, / know
nothing of the facts; but, as l said, I
heard several speaking about it, and l
believe it. was down town the other
day and your dog jerry was with me.
and gentleman from Tennessee
noticed him as we we're speaking of the
school. 1 asked him how long it would
take for dog like Jerry to learn to
, talk, and he said dog as knowing as
Jerry would learn in two months.
Some dogs viii learn in three months,
aud he said good many never would
learn"


Bill's praises of Jerry did not go un.
noticed. If there was any one thing
that the old gentleman fully believed,
u was that there was never another dog
that knew as much as Jerry.


The conversation for this time ter
minated, but Bill somehow felt that his
father would mention the subject again.
and he was not mistaken.


A few days after the above dialogue
the old gentleman met Bill and thus
addressed him /: "Bi1, do you really
believe that Jerry could learn to taIk?''


q certainly believe it" Bill re-
Piled.


g Do you know how much they
charge down there ?"


Wel," replied Bill, "I believe
they charge twenty-five dollars admis-
sion, and then ten dollars a month for
board and tuition for whatever time it
takes


Bill, how much would it cost for
You to take Jerry down there and put
MIN to school and come back: make
up the figures, and if it amt too much,
I'll have you go down and put him to
school"


Bill figured up the amount and came
to the conclusion that about seventy
five dollars would defray the necessary
expenses, and so apprized his father.


"Well now Bill, the Usage is coming
down the river this afternoon you get
ready and take Jerry down there, and
nut him to school. IL Won find the