PAULINA, AND HER PETS. [Illustration] NEW YORK: KIGGINS & KELLOGG, 88 JOHN STREET. [Illustration] PAULINA, AND HER PETS [Illustration] Paulina Evering was an intelligent girl, and as interesting as she wasintelligent and pretty. She was kind-hearted, and generous almost to afault. She was beloved by all the children in her neighborhood; for shewas ever indulging them in some way. She had a beautiful grape-vine inthe garden nurtured by her own hand. And when the grapes were ripe, sheseldom tasted of them herself, but when any little boys or girls calledto see her, she would ask the servant to go into the garden, and givethem bountifully of the luscious fruit. She was noted for her humanity to the brute creation. She looked uponeverything that drew breath as the handiwork of that Being to which sheowed her own existence; and though she had seen scarce twelve summers, she was old enough to feel that by the exercise of kindness to dumbbeasts even, she could evince her gratitude for life, health, and otherblessings she enjoyed. Paulina went one day, to spend a few hours with her cousins; as shereached the door, they were just driving from the house a poor dog, which had once been such a favorite with them, that they fed it on thegreatest delicacies, and never would let it sleep but on a nice cushion. [Illustration] "What are you going to do with poor Fido?" cried Paulina. "Oh! the vileanimal!" said her cousin Emily. "Look how frightful he has grown! Iwould not let him stay in the house for the world; I am going to givehim to those boys at the door: and I do not care what they do with him, for my brother Charles has given me a little beauty. Come in, and I willshow him to you. "--"Stop, do stay a moment, " said Paulina; "I beg youwill not give Fido to those wicked boys they will torment him to death. It was but the other day, some wicked boys fastened a tin-pot to a poordog's tail, and then let him run, with it dragging after him, frightening the poor creature almost to death. I beg of you, do not letthe hard-hearted fellows have him. Give him to me, and I will take himto my little hospital, and nurse him as long as he lives. " Fido hadgone into the kitchen (where young ladies and dogs have certainlynothing to do), and the cook, who was very busy, preparing for a greatdinner, had thrown some boiling water over his head and back, andscalded him in such a dreadful manner, that no one thought he could livethrough the day. Emily was so much enraged with the cook, and shed somany tears when she saw her pet suffering so much, that every onethought she had an excellent heart, and was really attached to her dog;but as soon as he was cured, and she found he had lost an eye, and hadno hair on his back, she could not bear the sight of him. Fido wasbeaten out of the hall, obliged to look for bones, and sleep in acorner, on the stairs; and at last, if Paulina had not come in time tosave him, he would have been given up to half a dozen wicked boys, whowould have tormented him to death. Paulina was much displeased with hercousin from this circumstance, for her character was very different fromEmily's. The little hospital she had alluded to was for her sick or lameanimals. It was composed of a dog, whose paw had been broken; a cat, whose ear had been bitten off, by a great rat which it had caught, and ablind squirrel. Beside these, she had in a cage a little sparrow, whosewings had been broken by a bird of prey; and as it could not fly to thebottom of its cage for water, or food, she made a little ladder for it, so it could jump up and down when it pleased. She had besides a thrush, which had been almost frozen to death, and never recovered the use ofits feet: but it did not sing the less gayly, though a cripple. [Illustration] [Illustration] She had also a pet rabbit, which she had saved from the torments of twocruel boys, who had caught it, and whom she overheard relating whatsport they would have, when they got home, by letting it loose in thestable, and then setting the dog on to worry it to death. The littlecreature had become so tame, that it would run to her whenever she cameto the place where it was kept, and when she took it up, would nestleitself in her arms to show its gratitude for her kind treatment andtender care of it. She had, besides, several fowls and ducks, that livedvery comfortably in her yard, because she took care of them herself anddid not trust it to any one else. [Illustration] And last, not by any means least, among her favorites, was a beautifulyoung deer, which her father had purchased, and brought home to her. [Illustration] Paulina felt the greatest pleasure in giving these pet animals all thecomforts she could, and her father and mother, to encourage herbenevolent disposition, increased her pocket-money, that she might beenabled to buy corn for her fowls, and seeds for her birds. Herbrothers, too, who were at college, often sent her presents. One day when Paulina was out, her attention was called to a young womanwho had brought two young lambs to market for sale. The two creatureswere coupled together like hounds; and as she stood with her eyes castdown, yet looking upon them, it was impossible not to note the sorrowstamped upon her gentle features. Paulina was interested and enteredinto conversation with her. She learned that she was a young marriedwoman; that her husband had gone to sea; leaving his mother, a veryinfirm old woman to her care. Soon after his departure, Mary left herfather's more comfortable dwelling to reside in the old woman's cabin, so that she could take the better care of her. A sheep was her onlyfortune and she took it with her. It had two lambs, and these she hopedto be able to keep toward the formation of a mountain flock; but theseason was so pinching that she brought the lambs into town for sale. Several had asked the price, but had turned away without purchasing. After relating to Paulina her story she sat down, and putting her armaround her lambs began to cry. Paulina told her to dry her tears, gaveher the price of her lambs, and then told her to take them home, and letthem still be the commencement of her mountain flock. The gratitudeexpressed by the poor creature, by both words and look at this generousact of kindness, amply repaid Paulina for the little sacrifice she hadmade to relieve her. As Paulina grew larger, her humanity exercised itself toward otherobjects, and as her heavenly Father had given her the means of doinggood, she felt pure delight in being generous, and receiving marks ofgratitude wherever she went. She was loved by her neighbors, rich aswell as poor, and was happy herself, because she tried to make othersso. KIGGINS & KELLOGG, Publishers, Booksellers, & Stationers, 123 & 125 William St. Also Manufacturers of every description of ACCOUNT BOOKS, MEMORANDUMS and PASS BOOKS, a large Stock of which is constantly kept on hand. Their Assortment of SCHOOL AND MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS, and of Foreign and Domestic STATIONERY, is very complete, to the inspection of which they would invite COUNTRY MERCHANTS before purchasing elsewhere. 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