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The Peking Pug: The Charmed Life of Miss Austin
By Samuel Merwin
TAKEN FROM "MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE," VOLUME 40, NOVEMBER 1912 - APRIL 1913
And, oh, Edith! While you're in Peking won't you get me one of those darling Peking Pugs--a blue and white one? You can give it to me when we meet at Yokohama. Probably I could buy one in New York, but it would never be the same. I want to know that mine actually came from the wonderful old city--and direct to me! You just can't imagine how I envy you that part of your tour. I think it was perfectly dear of your uncle and aunt to take you there! But aren't you just a teeny bit afraid, with everybody saying the revolution may break out yet--any second? . . .
Mrs. Wilberly, who was on the couch with one of her nervous headaches, dropped the letter to her lap, saying: "What on earth does Harriet mean by a Peking pug, Edith?"
Miss Austin turned toward her aunt a girlish face that exhibited no trace of whatever adventurous desires may have been stirring behind it. The well modeled mouth, the broad, low forehead, the straight nose, the firmly pointed chin, the healthy coloring, that was softened by a trace of ocean tan, combined to make it an extremely pretty face. The hazel eyes were wide and demure. Though she had been lounging in her room all this rather tiresome afternoon, her fluffy brown hair was in place to the last strand, her shirtwaist was immaculate, her perfect-fitting cloth skirt was as trim as if it had just been ironed to her figure.
"Oh, you know," she replied, rather absently--tiny sleeve dog, with long hair and cunning little ey