The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-25
MIGHTY MEAN

When we were very little boy we had very
big dog. He took his name from his colOr--it
was Buff-not from his character for he was
as remarkable for magdoganimity as for
strength and courage He was very patient,
too all the worry and work that seven-year
old urchin could inflict upon him in q long
HOLIDAY never disturbed his equicaninmity.
He probably had once been puppy but no
one who knew him would think of uncOiing
such an inference from the principles of nat
ural history to his prejudice-he was every inch
and every ounce a dog and one Of the biggest
and noblest of the race, at that. How he hated
the harness of our little wagon in summer, and
board-sled in winter He was faithful and
fond of his little master; but naturally enough
while he performed the duties and felt the sen.
tments Of dog, he resisted tho degradation of
hack Nothing else ever made him exhibit
any doggedness Of temper. We mover caught
him in q sneak, except when he was trying to
escape the collar and traces nor at dodge
except when hole in fence, or the low door
of his dormitory, offered him the opportunity
of stripping us of his back Our troubles and
tumbles Of this sort often rufiled our temper
with him but more mature reflection has long
since recunciled us to his conduct in this re.
spect, and il "the late remorse of love" we
admit that he was right. Alas, poor Buff!
Every dog, they say, has his day; but Buff g
was shamefully shortened. A beggar poisoned
him; for it was a principle with him never to
let tatterdemalion cross our doorstep. He
had an opinion and post to maintan-he
had some dignity of his own, and of course, a
decent Indignation against vagabonds deficient
in both dress and address. He suspected them
of feas, perhaps; perhaps of felony any how
he could not abide them and if it was only q
capricious antipathy, We don't think it very
serious impeachment of his otherwise unques.
tionable philanthropy. He may have been a
reformer and had mission and for that rea.
son must DO excused, if no garrisoned the
premises with rather severe fidelity We doubt
not that excellent authorities can be found for
growing and barking alarmingly for con-
science sake and we claim the benefit for the
, justification of Buff; the more by token that
the poor fellow fell martyr to it at last. See
there s doctrine and parable, even in the
life and death of a dog
, One day-how well We remember the dav-
: we were trying to drive family of refractory
pigs out of the yard, and, after u dozen iaures.
al a 4,
looking on, contemplatively, for half an hour.
, while the struggle lasted, without Offering any
a assistance or exhibiting any interest in the
matter, and now absolutely refused to interfere
There was another witness of our perplexity-
q our father was standing on the porch yery
. quietly waiting for the result regular fight
a had begun with Buff for his insolent indffer-
encc and downright disobedience but, detect.
v ing the presence, and hoping for the nterrosi.
!. ton OF the paramount authority, We began our
complaint with, Papa, what is the reason that
!. Buff won't hunt these pigs 2"
"Why, William, don't you know that a big
dog will not worry little pigs! If you want &c
i, have help at mean little job you must en-
ploy puppy in the service"
Buff was fairly indicated, and we had ,
lesson which has served us many A time since
Just then we felt only the rebuke, without a
all rclishing it, and, indeed, without fully I'm
:. Outstanding its philosophy
" That night after saying our daily PRAYER
and feeling as good as if we had been whipped
l. or praised, or pardoned some little ipiouit,
o and had our account with the world, and In
world to come, happily squared, and at libert
to begin again, We renewed the complaint an
n apology again, by saying, "But, papa, what
/. the reason that Buff oughtnt to worry lttl
pigs when they are in the yard, where the
have no business to be 2"
70 "Why sec here, my son little pigs ha,
# some rights, even when they are doing wron,
Haven't they!"
"No; | don't zee how they can be rigi
when they are wrong"
Smiling in a way that made US think "
were not quite up to the argument, althoug
we could not see the kink in it, he answered
DWELL, then, If pigs are not quite right whe
thav ara urauv. Or what ia a varv t;Naras