PET DOGS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1664, 24 November 1887, Page 4

PET DOGS.

The old story over again, with a new tailpiece. A lady belonging to a noble family of Poland died a short time since, bequeathing in her will a yearly' income to an attendant, on condition that she should take care of a favorite dog; moreover, a certain sum was to be hers if, on the death of the animal, she had him laid in the family vault. Now the dog has followed hia mistress’s example, and the attendant is anxious to carry out the wishes of the latter; but’ the family oppose them, the introduction of the deceased dog into the vault being very naturally looked upon as a profanation. A lawsuit is commenced, and the matter will soon come before the Courts Porthe first time we have heard within the past week of pet dogs having maids specially employed to attend to their wants. A young woman who served in this capacity in the home of a wealthy matron for several months has been detailing her various duties to His Majesty, a little King Charles spaniel. “He always slept in a little bed-room next to my mistress’s,” sbe said, “ and his bed was a real little brass bedstead with a fine spring and a hair mattress, and he had silk sheets and a little quilt of down, besides rose-colored curtains and a small feather pillow. In the room stood his little painted bath-tub, his case of brushes and combs, and a small table on which X combed him. I was never permitted to wake him until nine o’clock, but I had to sit in the room in case he should wake. Then I gave him a dish of beef soup to strengthen him, and prepared his bath. His mistress always came to see that I didn’t hurt him. He was washed in lukewarm water and the finest of Castile soap, and dipped in rosewater before drying. Then I had an hour’s task combing and brushing out his long silky hair, putting on one of bis various collars and taking him down to the breakfast room. He always ate with his mistress when her husband wasn’t there.” Asked whether the creature was vicious, the oj r l ff.uliecl: ” Oh, no, he wasn’t a cross dog at all. He used to make me almost cry, he 8° as though he was too much petted, yiie day when out carriage yiidjngjie died, and was buried in a little white casket all lined with satin in the garden up ,

at the family country seat. Then I was recommended to a lady to be maid to her pug dog. I only stayed there two weeks. He was a dreadful dog. The lady gave him chocolate for breakfast, and always kept a box of the most expensive candies where he could go and help himself, and every time I went to wash him he would snap and bite and act dreadful. His mistress said it was because I wasn’t ‘ gentle enough with darling, sensitive Philip,’ as she called him, so one day not long arm I just dumped him into a bath of cold water and left. Why, you know, that dog was so fat he couldn’t turn his head, and he wouldn’t eat anything that didn’t have sugar in it.”— Home paper.