Paulina and her Pets

Paulina and her Pets, by
Anonymous

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Title: Paulina and her Pets
Author: Anonymous
Release Date: November 3, 2007 [EBook #23307]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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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,