ROUGH’S STORY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 25, 21 June 1890, Page 19

ROUGH’S STORY.

NC E upon a time I was a little pup. There were four of us, but I was the prettiest of them all. Shall I tell you how I knew? Numbers of people used to come and look at us as we lay in our red-1 i n e d basket in the kitchen, and everyone used to take me up first anti say, ‘ Isn’t he a little beauty ?’ And of course I cou 1 d n’t help hearing what they sai d. Mother was very angry one day because I told my brother pups to give me the best corner as I was the best looking little doggie. She said, sharply. ‘ I'll bite your ears, Rough, if you talk such nonsense. * I wish the silly visitors would remember that it spoils dogs to hear themselves so praised. ’ At last one lady said, * I must really have that pup,' and she picked me up and put me in a little covered basket and carried me oft. I don't know where she took me, but the journey shook me dreadfully, and I felt quite sick, and was so glad when at last she lifted me out of the basket. I found I was in a room with a lot of soft nice seats. I jumped on them all to find a cosy corner in which to go to sleep. ‘ Isn’t the little darling frisky ?’ the laxly said to a gentleman, who answered, ‘ Yes, but he will spoil all your draw-ing-room furniture.’ However, the lady did not seem to mind at all, anil I followed her about the house for a few days, watching all she did.

I grew bigger and bigger, and she said I grew more and more playful and funny every day. She always let me sit on a nice sofa in her bedroom while she made faces at a picture of herself before which she stood for a long time whenever she was going out. She would put a queer thing on her head, which she told me was a bonnet, and her picture used to do the same. One afternoon as I was sitting on her sofa watching her putting Hour on her cheeks her husband came into the room. ‘ Make haste,’ he said, * the carriage is waiting.’ Then he threw off a little cap he had on his head ami put on one of her bonnets. He looked so queer 1 barked and laughed. His wife, though, was angry, and pushed him out of the room. Soon she was ready and ran off. Then I took up the cap the gentleman had left and put it on my heal. I tried to see my picture, but I could only reach a little piece of glass in a frame that the lady used sometimes, so I sat at the end of the sofa and had a nice

long look at myself. Just then the lady came l>ack in her gloves and saw me. She was so plea-re*! that she called her husband, and they got a man to take my real picture. So I send vou one, and I hope you will think it's quite as pretty as I do. Bough.