A DOG OF TASTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2691, 11 November 1876, Page 3

A DOG OF TASTE.

A family on Pine «treet own a pup of the New Foundland brand— one of thote playful oreatur. s with mischievous ejos. The family are very much attached tj it. It these hard times to broomo aitaohod to a don with a good appelito r« quires oontiderable «ffort, to say nothing of. e«lf possession. A fe«r days ago a daughter lift" her new hat on the sofa. When she again »aw it there were but a few straws and about two inobes of ribbon left, j Tbeae the dog was holding in his trout pa*«, and gravtJy oonUmpUtit.g them. In wa 5 a serious loan, but appeared to aff.ot the nn.th«-r more i ban it oid the daughter. She thought it was so oareless to leave a bat on the sofa. A week later a new but caa.e into the home with the gli»<i sunlight of its presence. It w»s worn down town the day of iis arrival, and on tho return of the wearer it was kid on the parlor table. An hour Jater the plajful dog was dhoovored in a hilarious game of foot ball out in the yard, with just enough feather and stmw left lo the object he wa* handling, to show how readily a d. g whioh waits to play foot bull oau adiipl bioiaelf to any imbalance in the absenoe of v regular bull. The mother was exasperated almmt beyond endurance by tho iuoitient — not against the party from New Foundland, but axaini-t her daughter who oould bt> to frightfully oareless as to leave a hat on a table HiSteaa of putting it away in tho closed where it belonged. The old lady was so dreadfully put out by the ooourrence that she had to oreu» up and make a coll. She declared that if she stayed at home and allowed herself to think of what a frightfully ottreless daughter she had she believed she would lose her senses. She made the visit and returned somewhat oalmer. She put away her things, and was going into the dining-room when she met her daughter. Her face flushed ab once. IShe could not help the bitterness from con, ing back into her heart, as she thought of a carelessness without excuse, aud the oost it had made. She opened on the subjeot, and there is no telling what she would have said had not the advent or. the dog, kiting through the apartment with her own bat, a bran new one, in his mouth, diverted the chancel of her thought. With a ory of horror she darted aiter him, but he made his escape from the house, and dashed into the yard, through the gate, and out to the street, the ribbons and feathers trailing in the dust, and the straws parting ono from another. She oame baok with a white face, and sank into a seat with a groan of despair. " Was that your bat, ma ?" inquired the daughter. " Yes, yes," she groaned. " Eight dollars gone to ruin. It teems os if I must aio." " Why, how oould th«* dog get hold of it P Where did you leave it P" "On the bed. O, dear! O, dear !" groaned the unhappy woman. " On the bed P" < jacuhted her daughter, in astonishment. " Was tuat the place for your hat— the bod P" [The mother quailed ] "Didn't you know better than to leave it thero where tho dog could get ii P lam surprised, mother, that one of your age should nob havo more judgment than that," added tho daughter, lookitig very muoh grieved, whilo her mother grew very red iv the face. "What do you suppose olosete were made for, if not to put things in P When will you loam that new bats don't grjw on every bushP" [The parent moved about uneasily ] •' Oh, mothor, mother," cried the young girl, " what is the use of trying to live this way, with money so scarce P Why will you bo so indifferent, so carele»s, so headstrong ? It breaks my heart to see you going on like this." And the daughter clasped her hands in pain, and turned two despairing eyes to houvon. Whereupon the mother, with an expression of disgust, fled into the bouse and locked thn door.