[MUTE] D then they all looked toward the house. A young gi

[Truden B. <ven...@pe...>]

E, and went away and sat very straight and stiff at Mrs. Morris' feet.
The lady's eyes still followed me. "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Morris," she
said, "but that is a very queer-looking dog you have there." "Yes," said
Mrs. Morris, quietly; "he is not a handsome dog." "And he is a new one,
isn't he?" said Mrs. Montague. "Yes." "And that makes." "Two dogs, a
cat, fifteen or twenty rabbits, a rat, about a dozen canaries, and two
dozen goldfish, I don't know how many pigeons, a few bantams, a guinea
pig, and well, I don't think there is anything more." They both laughed,
and Mrs. Montague said: "You have quite a menagerie. My father would
never allow one of his children to keep a pet animal. He said it would
make his girls rough and noisy to romp about the house with cats, and
his boys would look like rowdies if they went about with dogs at their
heels." "I have never found that it made my children more rough to play
with their pets," said Mrs. Morris. "No, I should think not," said the
lady, languidly. "Your boys are the most gentlemanly lads in Fairport,
and as for Laura, she is a perfect little lady. I like so much to have
them come and see Charlie. They wake him up, and yet don't make him
naughty." "They enjoyed their last visit very much," said Mrs. Morris.
"By the way, I have heard them talking about getting Charlie a dog."
"Oh!" cried the lady, with a little shudder, "beg them not to. I cannot
sanction that. I hate dogs." "Why do you hate them?" asked Mrs. Morris
gently. "They are such dirty things; they always smell and have vermin
on them." "A dog," said Mrs. Morris, "is something like a child. If you
want it clean and pleasant, you have got to keep it so. This dog's skin
is as clean as yours or mine. Hold still, Joe," and she brushed the hair
on my back the wrong way, and showed Mrs. Montague how pink and free fro