Esther Barnes
English Theme
October 17, 1932
I certainly live in a “doggy” neighborhood. There are dogs to the left of me, dogs to the right of me, and dogs in front of me. Bozo, next door, Waggie, across the street, Jack, up the street, and Bob, on the corner. Last, but far from least, is Jimmie.
Allow me to introduce you to the queen of the neighborhood. If ever there was a feisty, self-satisfied, conceited dog, Jim is the one. She is nothing more than a little, old, brown, Boston bull-dog, but to see her strut around you’d think she was a prize Pekingese. She’s just an old woman, who, upon realizing that she is no longer young, attempts to fool people into believing that she’s only twenty. Jimmy is about eleven years old, has only a few teeth, and can’t see as well as she used to, but she still retains the queenship of the neighborhood, and rules her subjects well.
Jimmie, or Granny, as she is better known, is really a most intelligent dog. She has the ability to comprehend practically everything that is said to her. She always knows when she can go riding. If people are wearing their good clothes, she knows that she must stay home. When she knows that it is her turn for a ride she is overjoyed. She has to walk sideways to keep from flying, and all the time her little stub of a tail is going around like a fly-wheel.
On cold mornings she leaves her big, comfortable bed in the corner and cries to get in bed with her mistress. Unless all the covers are pulled back, she refuses to give you the honor of her presence. She is the queen and must be royally treated.
On warm, sunny days, she is allowed to go outside. She must have her sunbath to preserve her youth and beauty. Before settling down on the front steps, she always walks around the house, both ears cocked, her tail held high, looking for trouble. She’d attempt to conquer anything from a kitten to a giant police dog. Several times she has had her jacket torn off and thrown in her face by the police dog up the street. Two weeks ago, her only daughter, Dimples, or Stomach-ache, as she was nicknamed, died as the result of injuries inflicted by this same dog.
These are only a few of the interesting things about Jimmie. Really to appreciate her extreme cleverness, one must be acquainted with her and her ways. She's a nuisance at times, but one can easily forget that when she looks at you so broken-heartedly, as if to say, “I’m just an old woman, and you’ll have to overlook my actions. I haven’t much longer to live. Let me have my fun while I can.”
Teacher’s comments: Ex
May I have a copy, please?