PAULINA
AND
HER PETS.
NEW YORK:
KIGGINS & KELLOGG,
88 JOHN STREET.
PAULINA,
AND HER PETS
Paulina Evering was an intelligentgirl, and as interestingas she was intelligent and pretty.She was kind-hearted, andgenerous almost to a fault. Shewas beloved by all the childrenin her neighborhood; for shewas ever indulging them insome way. She had a beautifulgrape-vine in the gardennurtured by her own hand.And when the grapes were ripe,she seldom tasted of them herself,but when any little boysor girls called to see her, shewould ask the servant to gointo the garden, and give thembountifully of the luscious fruit.
She was noted for her humanityto the brute creation.She looked upon everythingthat drew breath as the handiworkof that Being to whichshe owed her own existence;and though she had seen scarcetwelve summers, she was oldenough to feel that by the exerciseof kindness to dumbbeasts even, she could evinceher gratitude for life, health,and other blessings she enjoyed.
Paulina went one day, tospend a few hours with hercousins; as she reached thedoor, they were just drivingfrom the house a poor dog,which had once been such afavorite with them, that theyfed it on the greatest delicacies,and never would let it sleepbut on a nice cushion.
“What are you going to dowith poor Fido?” cried Paulina.“Oh! the vile animal!” saidher cousin Emily. “Look howfrightful he has grown! Iwould not let him stay in thehouse for the world; I am goingto give him to those boysat the door: and I do not carewhat they do with him, for mybrother Charles has given mea little beauty. Come in, andI will show him to you.”—“Stop,do stay a moment,” saidPaulina; “I beg you will notgive Fido to those wicked boysthey will torment him to death.It was but the other day, somewicked boys fastened a tin-potto a poor dog's tail, and thenlet him run, with it draggingafter him, frightening the poorcreature almost to death. Ibeg of you, do not let the hard-heartedfellows have him. Givehim to me, and I will take himto my little hospital, and nursehim as long as he lives.” Fidohad gone into the kitchen(where young ladies and dogshave certainly nothing to do),and the cook, who was verybusy, preparing for a great dinner,had thrown some boilingwater over his head and back,and scalded him in such a dreadfulmanner, that no one thoughthe could live through the day.Emily was so much enragedwith the cook, and shed somany tears when she saw herpet suffering so much, that everyone th