Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-09-12
Tha Dog Noble, and the Empty Hole
By HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

dog named Noble" He was learned in
many things, and by his dog-lore excited
the uuayng admiration of all the chill
.dren. Bat there were some things which
Noble could never learn. Having on ose
occasion seen a red squirrel run into a
hole IN stone wall he could not be per-
snaded that he was not there Forever
aore.
Several red squirrels lived close to the
house and bad become familiar. but net
taae. They kept up a regular romp with
Noble. They would come down fraia
the maple trees with provoking coolue,=
they would rua along the feuce almost
within reach they would Geek their tail
en sail aeross the road to the barn; 1
set therc a-s such well-sinel eale.,lu-
ton under all This apparent rashnzss, thai
Mob g Invariably arrived At the critical
spot st IS t'ae sialrrel / # it.
On oae occasion, Noble was so Close
upon his rs1l-b;.5 Eel friend, that, una e
io.got up tie maple tree, he dodgol MIC
aho IA the wal. ran through tie chiu'ss
emerged at a Iitt'e distance, and sprana
into the tee. The intense enthusiasm ii
the dog at that hele can hardly be dts-
eritel. He 81 ed it ful3 q bark ng. He
paved and sratehed as Il Un lefluiil;u-. I.
tas,ion. Standing OF 1T a l;ttle distance
he would pierce the hole with gaze n
tense and iyel as if he wer3 tiyiac ma =
Icfiym % ii. Then. WIN tai extent /,
an eve y lztif thereon electrified, he
would rush At the empty hole With prod
igious onslaught.
This imaginary squirrel haunted No5,e
night ana lay The very squirrel HIM
self wcajd flin up before bis face into the
tree, and oroae4el in er5.sh. wau.l -.t
silent ' watching the wa5's pro e, g..
tom5ar! n aa empty hole ~ eze.. 50
briefly aa1 re.iza. Blt Noac rzl :
low Of no doab.s- lis eoaric..a4 tn.
taat hole hcd 9 squire, II. can :a1el I'll.
shaken for * weeks Nz -. l.'.--
oecupa;icaz h..5 ii g, ....s s5.l rsa4a ,..
to him. Whea there were ~ more cl :
ems to harry. no pigs 20 lite, N ea;.ls 10
ca2se, ne children 70 ry..gq y tn, 10 e- O.
ditioHs % make with tae grown ,5lls. ~.
when he hid SLEPT all tia; h;s dog. i.
would hold, he would wax cut OF tt.a
yard, yaHTn AMI stretch h.nise.f. and then
leo'i wistfjsiiy At the hoe, IS i th;naina
10 hiin-eii--"At ell, as there is aothin.. %
dc, may as well try that hole again =
We had almost forgot ca this ];.tll
trait, ant! tn conduct Of the New Aogg,
Express in respect to Col. Fremont : r T.
gf9n brought L ll.l,crou-l, t. mind. ca
Fremont Is, and always mas been, as saua1
Protestant as John Knox eyer vas
lie was bred in the Protestant faith am:
has never changed. lie Is unacouaiatc'
with the doctrines and ceren.9..es; OF tbs
Catholic Church ana has never attended
the service. Of that church, with two oi
three exceptions, when CURIOSITY, or some
eztr.usic reason, led him a. u witness
y e d not st4te this upon vague belief
We sroEg what ne say. W sav it pool
cur oSu personal honor ard proper kll,,,y,
edge. Iol. Fremont never was ami !.
10; now Roman Catho!ie. He has nsv
CT teen won't to attend ;hat church. NJ,
has ac, in any way, directly OF indirectly
given oc,isiea for this re9s=t.
1t is sr.tutous fllsohootl. alter. A..r.
re, absolute and unqualified The ,tar,
has bcoa gss.ap fer political o.afset. I, !
Sill circulated tor that r. son. and, IL
other po'it ca lies, i, is sheer. ans se4,,i.
l7Gs tt.seh99,i, f III Top to bottom, iilsa,
the clrc 10 the sisin, f-o,a TIE IN b..c' to
the core acain. In al! it parts, in pulo
te I'm at ind, cell and seei, II is a tao-.
Gu u and total untrCth, and her Mo
spread it bear false witness. And as 10
ali the stories Of. the Fumcr, etc. as 10
supposed conversations with Fremont, IN
which he defended the mass. and what not.
they are pure lotions. They never h.p
peued. The authors of thea are SANDER
ers the rlen who spread them become
endorsers # wiltul and corrupt libelers.
Bat the Express, like Noble, has open
Ell on this hole in the wall, and can never
be done barking at it. Day after day it
resorts . this empty hole. When they
are, indeiatigably-the Express anI No
hie--a church without a Fremont. a hoil
without atalrrei il it,
III some respects, howeyer, the dog had
the advantage. Sometimes we thought
h.as-t III itslii bStlCN Ca t!lslS tiicIt WIS 4
squirrel there. But at other times he ap.
parently had an inkling of the ridiculous
ness Of his conduct for he would drop his
tail, and with his tongue out and his eyes
a little asiant, seeming to say, My dear
sir, you don't understood a dogs feelings
| should Of course much prefer a squire
bat if | can't have that, an empty hole is
better than nothing. I imagine how
would catch him If ne aeDs there. Be
sides people who pass by don't know The
facts. They think that l have got some
thing. It is needlul to keep up my re5u-
tation for sagacity. Besides, to tell the
truth, have looked into that hole so
long that | have half persuaded myself
that there is a squirrel there, or will be, if
I kee1 on
v ell, every dog must have his day aud
every dog must have his way. No doubt
if we were to bring back Mob now, after
two summers absence, he would make
straight for that hole in the wall with Just
as much zeal as ever.
We never read the Express, nowadays