Gyp.

Western Star, Issue 1548, 28 March 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

Gyp.

r ' Mamma, may I have another piece of bread and butter, or anything? I do so ■*ra,nt it 1"

» Why, yes, dear; ask Katie to give you Borne. I can't go to the kitchen now; lam too busy." " Katie says she won't give me any more, 'cause I've had some."

" Tell her mamma says you may have another slice and she will." Little Alice started for the kitchen with mamma's message, and Katie gave her the bread, but as she went out into the yard, Katie went upstairs to her mistress. "•Mrs. Wilson, I don't want you to think, mum, that I don't want to get the bread for Miss Alice, but she's had three cookies two pieces of bread, and some cold meat before, and I don't know whatever she can have done with it all." ... '«I wish you would see what she does with it, Katie; lam busy just now, and cannot do it myself." , "So I will, mum. Perhaps she's feeding some of the poor folks." Mrs. Wilson thought this was quite likely, and so did not give the matter a second thought till the girl came back, saying.: «' Oh, mum, will you come out here and see what the child's doing?" Mrs. Wilson rose hastily and followed the excited girl. " What is the matter ?" " Look there, mum." Just back of the house sat Alice on a stone feeding a large Newfoundland dog. As they came nearer, the dog growled savagely at them. " Why, Alice, come right away from that dog ! He will bite you." " No, he won't mamma. See how he loves me," and the little girl threw her arms around the dog's neck. Mrs. Wilson was terribly frightened, and started to take her daughter from the dog, but the way he showed his teeth made her change her mind. "What shall I do? I'm so afraid hell bite the child 1" " I don't think he will mum. She s been feeding him, and he seems to like her. Perhaps if She would come to you and the dog should see that you wouldn't hurt her, he would let you take her into the house, and then he would go off." " Come, Alice, come to mamma. I want you to go over to Aunt Mary's with me," said Mrs. Wilson, holding out her arms to the child. " Ob, yes, and I'll take the dog with me, said Alice, running to her mother. The dog followed her, and seeing that Mrs. Wilson was not going to hurt his little friend, he seemed very much pleased. " May I take the doggie, mamma ?" "I think not, dear ; I don't think Aunt Mary will want dogs in her house." "I will tell him to stay out-doors. He will mind what I say, won't you, doggie ?" The dog gave a sneeze, as much as to Bay yes. " There 1 Did you hear him say yes ? Can he go, mamma?" The dog stood looking up into the face of Mrs. Wilson, as though he knew what they were talking about. Mrs. Wilson wanted to • get rid of the dog, but she also wanted to please Alice, so she said: " Yes, my dear, if he is here when we get ready to go." The dog seemed to know what was said, for he rolled over several times to show how < pleased he was. "Now, doggie, you lie right down on that mat, and wait for us. Don't you get up, will you?" The dog sneezed twice and lay down on the mat and shut one eye, while he kept the other on Alice till she went into the house. Mrs. Wilson hoped he would become tired of waiting, and was as long as possible getting ready; but when they came out the dog was still there. When he saw they were going, he walked to the edge of the sidewalk and stepped down into the street. " I think he wants me to get on his back; don't ycm think so, mamma ?" "He acts as though he did, but perhaps you had better walkalong with me." "Oh, yes, do let me; he will make a splendid horse," and Alice ran and climbed upon his back. The dog kept perfectly still, and stood looking at Mrs. Wilson. She took Alice's hand, and then tha dog stepped up on the sidewalk, and walked quietly along by her aide. When they arrived at Aunt Mary's, Alice showed him where to lie down, and he obeyed her at once. Aunt Mary lived near the river, and Alice had always wanted to go down and see the water, but her mother had never let her; so when Aunt Mary asked her mother to go upstairs to see some new things she had been buying, Alice ran out into the street and started for the river. The dog started with her, and they had a fine time playing along the road. When Alice's mamma and Aunt Mary came downstairs they looked out of the window, expecting to see Alice in the yard. " Where can she have gone i" asked Mrs. Wilson in alarm. "You don't think she could have run down to the river, do you?" asked Aunt Mary. Mrs. Wilson looked that way and saw the little girl standing near the river bank, but the dog was between her and the water. Every time she tried to reach the water the dog would step before her and keep her from it.

" I must go right down after her," Baid Mrs. Wilson excitedly. " I.should not," said Aunt Mary, " The dog will take care of her. Where did you get such a splendid animal?" " I never saw him until to-day. I found Alice feeding him out in the yard just before we came here."

"He has taken a great liking to Alice, I should think, and he seems to know how to take care of children; See, he is trying to make her come this way now." Slowly the dog was driving her away from the river, and Alice soon turned toward the house, the dog trotting p»J<mg by her side. When she came into the bouse her mamma asked her why she had gone to the river, when she knew she had been told not to, " You did not tell me not to go to-day." " No, but you knew I did not want you to go any day."

" Well, mamma, dear, I did not go very near the water."

" Because the dog would not let you; he you ought not to go so he stopped you. He is a good dog. Come, we are going home now." " Can I ride?" " Yes, if the dog will let you." " Come, doggie, I want to ride," said Alice, and the dog came up and stood while Alice's mamma put her on his back. Soon after they arrived, Alice's papa came home, and was very much surprised to see the big dog in the house, and still more so when he heard of the dog's actions. Alice gave the dog a good supper, and Mrs. Wilson made him a bed in the woodhouse.

About a week afterwards a gentleman called and claimed the dog, whose name, he said, was Gyp. Mrs. Wilson told him how the dog came to them, and the dog seemed glad to see his master, but no amount of coaxing would call him away from the little girl. The gentleman told Mrs. Wilson that

the dog belonged to his little daughter, who was about the same age as Alice, but who had died three months before; The dog had been very lonesome after Bhe died? and finally had gone aw.-iy, and he had just heard where he was,

Mrs. Wilson offered to buy the dog, as Alics had become so much attached to him. v but his master would not sell him, for he said money would not purchase the faithful animal, but that he would give him to Alice, because he saw the dog had taken the same fancy to her that he had taken to his own little daughter. From this time Alice and the dog were always together, and the child's mother never worried about her for she knew the dog would take good care of her. Oqc afternoon, when Alice was playing in the street, a runaway horse came round the corner. She was sitting with her back toward the runaway, ami to did not s. n -e if. Her EioLber saw the d;*!sg t ( bus was too far away to reach the child before the horse.

She expected to see Alice killed, when Gyp bounded into the street from.the .opposite side of the road, caught his little mistress by the dress, and sprang into the yard, laying the screaming child at Mrs. Wilson's feet. Alice was terribly frightened, but she was not hurt S bit, and as soon as her mother nut her upon the ground Gyp began to lick her face to show how glad he was that she was not hurt. Do you wonder that Alice thinkß so much of her pet ? And do you wonder that her parents treat him as one of the family 1