Produced by Richard Halsey

The Youth's Companion

Volume LII. Number 11 Thursday, March 13, 1879.

Perry Mason & Co., Publishers No. 41 Temple Place Boston

[Illustration (masthead-yc-1)]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the Companion.

THE HOSTLER'S STORY.

By J. T. Trowbridge.

What amused us most at the Lake House last summer was the performance of a bear in the back yard.

He was fastened to a pole by a chain, which gave him a range of a dozen or fifteen feet. It was not very safe for visitors to come within that circle, unless they were prepared for rough handling.

He had a way of suddenly catching you to his bosom, and picking your pockets of peanuts and candy,--if you carried any about you,--in a manner which took your breath away. He stood up to his work on his hind legs in a quite human fashion, and used paw and tongue with amazing skill and vivacity. He was friendly, and didn't mean any harm, but he was a rude playfellow.

I shall never forget the ludicrous adventures of a dandified New Yorker who came out into the yard to feed bruin on seed-cakes, and did not feed him fast enough.

He had approached a trifle too near, when all at once the bear whipped an arm about him, took him to his embrace, and "went through" his pockets in a hurry. The terrified face of the struggling and screaming fop, and the good-natured, businesslike expression of the fumbling and munching beast, offered the funniest sort of contrast.

The one-eyed hostler, who was the bear's especial guardian, lounged leisurely to the spot.

"Keep still, and he won't hurt ye," he said, turning his quid. "That's one of his tricks. Throw out what you've got, and he'll leave ye."

The dandy made haste to help bruin to the last of the seed-cakes, and escaped without injury, but in a ridiculous plight,--his hat smashed, his necktie and linen rumpled, and his watch dangling; but his fright was the most laughable part of all.

The one-eyed hostler made a motion to the beast, who immediately climbed the pole, and looked at us from the cross-piece at the top.

"A bear," said the one-eyed hostler, turning his quid again, "is the best-hearted, knowin'est critter that goes on all-fours. I'm speakin' of our native black bear, you understand. The brown bear aint half so respectable, and the grizzly is one of the ugliest brutes in creation. Come down here, Pomp!"

Pomp slipped down the pole and advanced towards the one-eyed hostler, walking on his hind legs and rattling his chain.

"Playful as a kitten!" said the one-eyed hostler, fondly. "I'll show ye."

He took a wooden bar from a clothes-horse near by, and made a lunge with it at Pomp's breast.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: The Youth's Companion Volume LII, Number 11, Thursday, March 13, 1879
• 2: The hostler winked his one eye knowingly
• 3: But no pappoose strapped to it
• 4: The bear made short work with the cur
• 5: What to do with Johnny meanwhile
• 6: Silvia Morden is a girl of sixteen
• 7: And cuspadores were among them
• 8: What under the sun is a cuspadore
• 9: Miss Silvia asked for a spittoon
• 10: But an extract from the lye of wood ashes
• 11: Handling the lye and these salts
• 12: Giving off anything but an agreeable odor
• 13: I'm going into that old stooping hemlock
• 14: Vet and I set off to go to the settlement
• 15: Though there aint but few o' them work about here
• 16: Of miners talking or laughing below the mule tracks
• 17: But demanded that Catewayo should disband his army
• 18: How the canadian parliament is opened
• 19: Intemperance in the use of liquor
• 20: This Langheimer has a singular history
• 21: The existence of such meteorites has long been suspected
• 22: And cvrst be he yt moves my bones
• 23: That there really is a sea serpent
• 24: And noticing a copy of In Memoriam on her table
• 25: 1 Design for a $2 Eastlake Foot Rest
• 26: Dispose of 100 PIANOS ORGANS
• 27: For Descriptive Circular address main office
• 28: I've been reading about this Orphan Home
• 29: And you wish to help the orphans
• 30: So they sang one sweeter still
• 31: Lorne put him into the pocket of his jacket
• 32: Goodford took a merciful view of the affair
• 33: At Christmas the hall looks like a large bazaar
• 34: A spoonful of oil will go farther than a quart of vinegar
• 35: If Aunt Gussie and Annie say so
• 36: Chubby Wubby sobbed over and over again
• 37: There Miss Dobbs could not see her
• 38: She found Miss Dobbs was to be minded
• 39: It is a serious cereous matter
• 40: And landed not over thirty feet from Curnutt
• 41: Authorizing the establishment of a mint
• 42: Smoothing his father's wrinkles
• 43: Address QUEEN BAKING POWDER CO
• 44: As its name SOZODONT signifies
• 45: STOCKBRIDGE MANURESOriginated by Levi Stockbridge
• 46: Address THE DINGEE CONARD CO