was a brief scuffle, an agonizing scream, the dirt flew, the dogs
rushed off, and Maria sat up in tears, dirt and hunger. The lunch was
gone. By the time quiet was restored, the dogs would come to see if
they had left any in their hurry, and the forgiving little one would
start in to play with them as if nothing had happened. I was there two
months, and if Maria got a whole lunch in that time, I didn't see it.
Sometimes the dogs had forgotten to look at their watches and would
be a couple of minutes behind time, but all the same they rushed on
her and took what there was. Often the screams would bring her mother
out, and Maria would go into a little explanation which, as she couldn't
talk, didn't make things very clear, consisting chiefly of "a-h-s" and
"o-h-s." Little as she was, she had a spice of shrewdness which
unfortunately didn't work well. She would commence her scream directly
she brought her lunch out, but as soon as she found it only served to
make the dogs more promptly on time, she gave it up. I have had a good
deal of amusement, one way or another, but Maria stands at the head
of the list in my memory.

* * * * *

I made the acquaintance of a married couple at Afton. I do not often
hold up the private life of my acquaintances to illustrate moral reason,
but I must make this an exception. I believe the gentleman was brought
to Afton for the protection of sheep, and to test the statement that
a goat with a flock of sheep would keep off the dogs. When I saw him
he was a moral wreck. He had become a professional lounger around the
depot where he chewed up old paper, straw, and such odd crumbs of lunch
as the passengers would throw out of the car windows. His hair was
full of burrs and he had gotten one of his legs broken by the cars.
His occupation was to wrestle with all the trifling fellows, white and