DAN RIBBLES DOG MALT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3971, 12 April 1884, Page 4

DAN RIBBLES DOG MALT.

(By Vie). ■"Yes," said the temperance man, "I remember trying to make a teetotaller of Dan Ribblcs. One night I called in at his place determined not to leave until his name was on my list.- When I entered Dan was sitting by the fire with a glass of hot toddy in his hand ; this looked bad, but I sot to work at once, dilating on the advantages of total abstinence, and relating all the little anecdotes I could think of to support my views. Dan sat there stirring his toddy round and round, never venturing a word, till I had finished telling about the old maid's cat that preferred milk to whisky, and tho brower's horso that wouldn't drink beer. .Then he put aside his glass, and said, " You can't count much on that mate. I had a dog some years ago that would have drunk that beer, and then looked round for more. Malt was tho most knowing clog as ever ■wagged a tail, and I reared him on XXX colonial. From tho time he was a pup ho would follow me to tho pub, and curl up alongsido a little dish which me and my mates poured our slops into, and. he drank them and was happy. Every Saturday night, regular, we were to bo found in that bar, and Malt grew up to expect it. The way he marked the men who sucked the last drop out of their glasses was surprising. He was best of friends with those who slopped a little into his dish, but tho others—well, he just treated them with tho contempt their moanness deserved. Alcohol took no effect on him, bless you. Tho way he would pilot me home after three hours' hard drinking was an examplo to other dogs. I never came out of that bar sober, and just as soon as I staggered from the door, Malt took mo in possession, with an air that seemed to say, "Now, I boss this contract, so you go as I want." And I had to go right straight—no turning wrong corners, or lying in the gutter for a spell. This went on for some time, and Malt became a noted old soaker among the frequenters of tho Miners' Arms; till one overling, as I was returning from work, I stopped to listen to somo temperance people who wove spouting in tho street. I sort of fancied thdr talk, and promised myself that I would go their meeting that night. After tea I togged up, and set oft' with Malt at my heels, but instead of keeping on to the pub., I turned to go into the meetinghoilHO. Malt ficcmctl surprised at this*, and must havo thought that 1 was drunk before my time, as he got in front of mo, and started barking and tearing round, as ho usually did when I got off the track ; but 1 was sober, and wouldn't bo turned._ The door-keeper wasn't on for letting him in, but I said ' Pass him, mate ; he's the hottest advocate for alcohol ever you tumbled across, and tho specching might twist his ■views.' So Male trotted in and got up on the form by my side, looking all the time as though it was a change he didn't approve of. Ho stayed there for nearly half-an-hour whining in a most dissatisfied manner ; but when anothor man got up to talk, and he saw no probability of drinks coming on, ho couldn't suffer it no longer, and stretching out his neck ho gave ono prolonged dismal howl, and scampered out with his head down. You never saw a dog so disgusted. Ho gave an ugly snap at a man by the door, as though ho must give vent to his feelings somehow. After that ho wouldn't go inside a meoting-houso to kill cats. And whenever ho came across one of those speakers ho betrayed a desire to feed on him. Poor old Malt, lie got cut in half, inspecting a mowing machine Here's to his memory." And old Ribblcs drained oft , his liquor. "I wasted thrco hours over Dean that night, but as long as I talked he kept on brewing toddy and drinking it. I saw at last that if I stayod longer he would drink himself imbecile, so I left."