Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1881 — Charlie and His Dog. [ARTICLE]

Charlie and His Dog.

A good while ago a little boy, named Charlie, had a large dog, which was very fond of the water, and in hot weather he used to swim across the river near which the boy lived. One. day the thought struck him that it would* be fine fun to make the dog carry him across the river, so he tied a string to the dog’s collar and ran down with him to the water’s edge, where he took off nil his clothes,

and then, holding hard by the dog’s n?ck and the bit of string, he went into the water, and the dog pulled him across. After playing about on r the other side for some time, they returned hi the way they had come;’ but when Charlie looked for his clothes he could find nothing but his shoes. The wind had blown i all the rest into the water. The dog ' saw what had happened, and, making I his little mind up what to do, he made ' the boy let go the string by pretending to bite him; dashed into the river, and brought out first the coat, and then all the rest in succession. Charlie dressed and went home in his wet clothes,, and told his mother what fun he and the dog had had. His mother told him that he did very wrong in going across the river as he had done, and he should thank God for making the dog take him over and buck again safely; for if the dog had made him let go in the river, he would most likely Lave sunk and been drowned. Little Charlie said, “ Shall I thank Gcd naw, mamma ? ” and kneeled down at his mother’s knee and thanked God ; then, getting up again, he threw i his arms round the dog’s neck, saying, ‘ ‘ I thank you, too, dear doggie, for not letting go.” This little Charlie afterward became Admiral Sir Charles Napier.