The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-10-24

not afraid ofhim. He says ofthem,
"They are so unncquainted with man,
Their tnmeness is shocking to mo-
do not mean TO take up the question wheth
-s.r in our present state il il not necessary for
ns TO destroy animals in order that we may
live ourselves, hut whether treating them as
we do, we can know anything oftheir true ma
lures Those animals which we are the
most kind TO are the most intelligent, the
most loving.
When see fine, gentle horse, or an in
Selligenl, loving dog, find myself repeating
Miss Burrett's beautiful words
'Be my bcnediction said
With my hand upon thy head,
Gentle fellow creature"
Cowpcr had a great respect for animals,
aud especially for dogs, he shows il in his
beuutihl little poem, "The Dog and the Wa
Ter Lily" and he evidently thought dogs rea-
soued as well as loved. He describes him
self on the banks of the Ouse striving in vain
30 draw lily to the shore with his cane: he
says,
NBcau marked my unsuccessful pains
With fixed, consderate face,
And puzzling sat his puppy brains
10 comprehend the case. 4"
Ne then describes him plunging INTO the rv
Grand gathering the lily aud laying itat his
Tlaster's feet. Who has moi seen something
oi'ths intelligent and devoted love in the dogs
OF their acquaintance? no.
Children always do dogs justice till they
learn hardness Of heart from their elders. A
little boy of my acquaintance when he was
Iuld that he might ask some friends to pass
lrs birth day with him, and was asked who
should he invited, named over all the dogs he
had ever known, aud was much grieved when
Ais choice was greeted with laughter. have
lttlo off nt'o rrnX yif
his hand in the mouth of large hungry dog
srying TO get piece Thread out of it, and the
dog not resenting the liberty at all, but mere
ly trying to retain his share of the bread, aud
allowing the child TO take part.
We all know that dogs have chosen to die
Srii0n the graves OF their masters, refusing
food even when brought to them. They felt
that the joy of life was gone and 10 longer de-
sired existence.
We stand in awe before such love, we look
at such animals as five saw in them an an
gel in prison. We feel ~ if such nature
could not die.
There is no doubt that dogs understand
language The late Mr. Solomon p. Miles,
who was remarkable for his tender love for
animals, as well as for many other noble and
lovely qualities, told me some remarkable
fncrs which came under his own personal OBJ
servatdn, and which anu therefore sure arc
Srt,e, showing that intelligent dogs understand
lauSaage. He said that in his fathers house
w,cI an old dog to which they were much at
iached, and who became liable to fits. lie
was very fond ofhunting, and the moment he
saw any one take the gun, 10 go into the
woods, he would show his ecstacy by leaping
about Mr. Miles mother one day when car
cssing the dog and lamenting that he was sub
ject to these fits, told her son that he had bet
Ter shoot him the next time he took him out
hunting. A few days after Mr. Miles went
hunting, but the moment he reached up for
his gun which was laid up on hooks upon the
wall, the dog instead ofiumping about 10 show
his Joy, run directly to The good lady who had
condemned him to death, and got under the
Hable at which she was sitting, and looked up
IN her face, and would not move from the
place do what they would TO him, and never
afterwards could he he induced to 20 out with
any one if he had gun in his hand.
Another still more remarkable instance of
Intelligence in dog he related to me, though
Unjust confess it does not prove that this dog
had much conscience. Mr. Miles said he
knew the man who owned the dog, and knew
the truth of the whole story. He said thai II
neighbor of theirs had an nnconlmony good
dog well trained, and as il seemed perfect in
all things. One day neighbor came and
complained of his killing his sheep. The
not he so, for Hero was perfectly well trained
was always in his kennel ut The right hour,
and knew he ought not to kill sheep. But
abe neighbour came again with an accusation
his muster then tied him in his barn. But the
neighbor came with the same story. This he
considered proof of the injustice of the
charge, and he told the neighbor that the dog
was red in the barn on the very night when
me supposed he was killing sheep. He made
now much of his favorite from the feeling he
Fhnd been unjustiy suspected. To his surprise
'the neighbor soon came again, and told hin
fihat his dog was so remarkable that he could
mot be deceived about him; that he had seer
him kill sheep with his own eyes the nigh
before. ...0 ...
The owner ofthe dog Of course thought
him mistaken, bnt said he would watch the
dog himselfin order TO convince him. Ac
'rordingly he did. Alta certain hour ofths
night, when the dog supposed no one coult
see him, he sawthe dog put up his two fore
paws and push off the collar TO which tht
e6AiR was fastened, and dart through the o
peD Windows close by, and 20 offto the sheer
pasture; he returned in good season; put hi
nose into the collar, and push iton with hi
paws, and laid down to sleep. His master, as
'topisbed and grieved, also went TO bed, witt
THE painful conviction that he must kill hi
intelligent but uDprincipled friend; for it j
said that nothing can cure dog of the habi
of sheep killing. In the morning he went t.
the stable, and as he approached the dog h
said, ooh Hero, how could you do so wrong
L must have you killed." Qnick as Lightning
before his master could lay bis hands on him
the dog put up his paws, pushed off his cola
over his ears, aud dnrted through the window
and flew away like lightning No one il
that town ever saw him again.