Indiana State Sentinel

Indianapolis, July 19, 1848.

Selling a Dog.

Dick Lazybones was the owner of a large dog, which it cost as much to keep as it would two pigs; and the dog besides was utterly useless. Nay he was worse than useless, for in addition to the expense of keeping, he took up the house room, and greatly annoyed Dick's wife.

"Plague the dog!" said she. "Mr. Lazybones, I wish you would sell him, or kill him, or do something or other with him. He is more plague than his rotten neck is worth—always lying in the chimney corner, and eating more than it would take to maintain three children. I wonder you keep such a useless animal."

"Well, well, my dear," said Dick, "say no more about it. I will get rid of him one of these days."

This was intended as a mere get off, on the part of Dick, but as his wife kept daily dinging in his ears about the dog, he was at length compelled to take some order on the subject.

"Well, wife," said he one day as he came in, "I've sold Jowler."

"Have you indeed?" says she, brightening up at the good news—"I'm dreadful glad of it."

"How much did you sell him for?"

"Fifty dollars."

"Fifty dollars! what, fifty dollars for one dog? How glad I am! That'll almost buy us a good horse. But where's the money, my love?"

"Money," said Dick, shifting a long nine lazily to the corner of his mouth, "I didn't get any money—I took two puppies, at twenty-five dollars apiece."