Year: 1873

popped in. But he did not pity me prop T.
ly; for he considered that l was lucky in
that she had changed her mind before mar
riage, instead of after and l could not con-
tradict that


But the cup of Musgrave's msfortunes
was not full. Dabble died


Do you laugh at people who grIeve for
pet animals? don't. "Only dog - folks
say. Well, dog who loves me is better
worth my regret than continent full, of
men and woman who don't Still more alb
surdly, argument is sometimes attempted ;
and we told not to z we a second thought
to the loss of an animal 50 that has no soul. -
Now surely, if the death of dog, cat, or
horse means its utter annihilation, that is an
extra cause for sorrow But there is no
reason for such notion. Read Butler 8
Analogy" and never speak with that ig
norant confidence again do not refer you
to Plato, heather Greek, but to Bishop
Butler. as orthodox man as yourself; per-
haps more so. Well, whatever may be the
spiritual endowment of other animals, Dab
bic must have had soul at last he reasoned,
and certainly would have talked if the for
nation Of his mouth had permitted him.
Do you mean to tell me that mere breath
ing machine would have found out that his
master wanted rabbits without being told,
and SO brought them home when he caught
them, instead OF eating them quietly in the
woods? lie took the medicine; he had no
doctor and yet he taied, poor dear,-which
looks as if the medical profession WAS
slandered sometimes. His illness was short.
lie did not eat one morning; the next his
coat was rough, and he did not lick it on
the third he went about mewlng, and his
eyes got fimy on the fourth he had convul-
slons, IN the course of which he succumbed.
We made wooden box for him, and deter
mined to bury him in tie orchard, under his
tavOrite tree, where he used to search holes
and lie in wait for dicky-birds. 1t was on q
lovely autumn evening that we bore the box
to this spot, and commenced our said prepa-
rati0ns. Musgrave being chief mourner,
took the part OF sexton, and struck the spade
into the ground. For little while the task
was easy; then | came on roots. which de-
layed me. Hacking through them, however,
| dug grave some three feet deep, and we
tried to carry the obsequies a stage further /;
but the box stuck the grave was not wide
enough. | began again at the sides, and
soon widened 1t; but then it looked 200
shallow, and | dug down little deeper !;
not much, for | was stopped by something
harder than a ro0t,-~a big stone probably
1t was impossible to make any impression
on 1t: so, as one does not like to be beaten
| dug round it, and tried to get 1t up boldly
Musgraye had to help; and then we disn-
tered square iron box


8 By Joye - cried - wonder il it is
the safe hidden away by your grandfather -


Musgrave flushed very red, and then turn
nd deadly pale.


" Bound to be, - said he ''and the deed
is in it =


1t spite of the suspense he put the safe on
one side until We had lowered Dabble into
it's place, which he exactly fitted, and filled
in the grave. Then we took our discovery
home, and wrenched the lid off. There was
the parchment safe enough, considerably dis
colored bat quite legible.


Well, Musgrave had no other way of rails
ing money for the re-opening of the big
suits; SO he sold the ruin and the orchard.
The case was clear enough now the missing
link was supplied and he established his
claim to the property which had been SO
long In dispute without much trouble or de-
lay. He married his Mary did not cut
me when the Increasing value of his free
holds made him very rich, and was always
grateful to Dabble, who had brought HIM
rabbits when living, and a fortune when
-Chana6ers' Journal