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                               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 was
intelligent and pretty. She was kind-hearted, and generous almost to a
fault. She was beloved by all the children in her neighborhood; for she
was ever indulging them in some way. She had a beautiful grape-vine in
the garden nurtured by her own hand. And when the grapes were ripe, she
seldom tasted of them herself, but when any little boys or girls called
to see her, she would ask the servant to go into the garden, and give
them bountifully of the luscious fruit.

She was noted for her humanity to the brute creation. She looked upon
everything that drew breath as the handiwork of that Being to which she
owed her own existence; and though she had seen scarce twelve summers,
she was old enough to feel that by the exercise of kindness to dumb
beasts even, she could evince her gratitude for life, health, and other
blessings she enjoyed.

Paulina went one day, to spend a few hours with her cousins; as she
reached 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 the
greatest 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 vile
animal!" said her cousin Emily. "Look how frightful he has grown! I
would not let him stay in the house for the world; I am going to give
him 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 will
show him to you."--"Stop, do stay a moment," said Paulina; "I beg you
will 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 poor
dog'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 let
the hard-hearted fellows have him. Give him to me, and I will take him
to my little hospital, and nurse him as long as he lives." Fido had
gone into the kitchen (where young ladies and dogs have certainly
nothing to do), and the cook, who was very busy, preparing for a great
dinner, had thrown some boiling water over his head and back, and
scalded him in such a dreadful manner, that no one thought he could live
through the day. Emily was so much enraged with the cook, and shed so
many tears when she saw her pet suffering so much, that every one
thought 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 had
no hair on his back, she could not bear the sight of him. Fido was
beaten out of the hall, obliged to look for bones, and sleep in a
corner, on the stairs; and at last, if Paulina had not come in time to
save him, he would have been given up to half a dozen wicked boys, who
would have tormented him to death. Paulina was much displeased with her
cousin from this circumstance, for her character was very different from
Emily's. The little hospital she had alluded to was for her sick or lame
animals. 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 a
blind squirrel. Beside these, she had in a cage a little sparrow, whose
wings had been broken by a bird of prey; and as it could not fly to the
bottom 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 of
its 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 two
cruel boys, who had caught it, and whom she overheard relating what
sport they would have, when they got home, by letting it loose in the
stable, and then setting the dog on to worry it to death. The little
creature had become so tame, that it would run to her whenever she came
to the place where it was kept, and when she took it up, would nestle
itself in her arms to show its gratitude for her kind treatment and
tender care of it. She had, besides, several fowls and ducks, that lived
very comfortably in her yard, because she took care of them herself and
did not trust it to any one else.

[Illustration]

And last, not by any means least, among her favorites, was a beautiful
young deer, which her father had purchased, and brought home to her.

[Illustration]

Paulina felt the greatest pleasure in giving these pet animals all the
comforts she could, and her father and mother, to encourage her
benevolent disposition, increased her pocket-money, that she might be
enabled to buy corn for her fowls, and seeds for her birds. Her
brothers, too, who were at college, often sent her presents.

One day when Paulina was out, her attention was called to a young woman
who had brought two young lambs to market for sale. The two creatures
were coupled together like hounds; and as she stood with her eyes cast
down, yet looking upon them, it was impossible not to note the sorrow
stamped upon her gentle features. Paulina was interested and entered
into conversation with her. She learned that she was a young married
woman; that her husband had gone to sea; leaving his mother, a very
infirm old woman to her care. Soon after his departure, Mary left her
father'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 only
fortune and she took it with her. It had two lambs, and these she hoped
to be able to keep toward the formation of a mountain flock; but the
season 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 arm
around her lambs began to cry. Paulina told her to dry her tears, gave
her the price of her lambs, and then told her to take them home, and let
them still be the commencement of her mountain flock. The gratitude
expressed by the poor creature, by both words and look at this generous
act of kindness, amply repaid Paulina for the little sacrifice she had
made to relieve her.

As Paulina grew larger, her humanity exercised itself toward other
objects, and as her heavenly Father had given her the means of doing
good, she felt pure delight in being generous, and receiving marks of
gratitude wherever she went. She was loved by her neighbors, rich as
well as poor, and was happy herself, because she tried to make others
so.




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