Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-09-28
Some Dogs are Smart.
BY Rev. A. L. P. GREEN, D.


Did you ever notice what . very
small amount of education the dogs
receive! We learn them their pane
which they obtain . knowledge OF
very soon-we learn them "Git out"
/" BECOME" here! herer' and "slck!
sick! sick !" and there. tbeir sduca-
ton stops, but I would Judge that as
the length of time it takes thsm to-
learn this much is SO very short, We
could teach them = great deal more, if
we were to try.
I will here give you an account ola
dog that I was once acquainted with.
He lived for several years in the town
of GAINESVILLE, Tennessee, and almost
every citizen of the place was acquaint-
ed with him.
He made his appearance on enter
ing the town, at the hotel-the place
where other strangers were generally
first seen. He did not register his
name, and call for a room, bat he went
into the back yard and laid himself
down to rest, but soon rendered him
self useful by keeping all dogs out of
the back yard, by which service be
earned bis supper.
} The next place where he made his
} appearance was at the Presbyterian
!, Church, which he attended for a while
! with great regularity and promptness,
| not merely going when the bell rang
for preaching, but when. the prayer
= meeting, which was not announced by
! the bell. From the fact that he at
= tended the Presbyterian Church alto
jgcther, the boys called him Calvin
He never went to church With any
or kept the company cf any
If other dog. He had two other places
n tof visiting; n was the Democratic
= meeting, whenever they came off !; and
10 he went to market every morning.
And without any appointment or cleo
% ton in any way he became town con
" stable, in so far as keeping order at the
l. market house-not suffering a hog OF
ID any other dog to trouble any ar
ticle that might be in the marke
ou house. In this service he was per-
!, fectly impartial. He took as much in
ht terest in minding the property of ON
ar person as another-never touched any
,es thing himself. But he was,always re
d warded by the persons atte9din
lat the market, for at the end of th
nal marketing hour they handed owe
to him enough provision to last hir
vas during the day, which be ~ the mo.
or orderly manner carried home in b
.ng mouth.
vas So things went on so for some tim
lty. till at last DR., Bascom had an appoint
to ment at the Methodist Church. Son
one said that Calvin would be at tt
so Methodist Church next Sunday, |
tie, would 60 to hear Bascon. certain. Su
you enough, when Sunday came he ma,
teal his appearance in the Methodist Chur,
=. and seemed to listen to tie doct
led, with great interest; and after this ds
was never again known to attend t
to Presbyterian Church, but attended t
ome Methodist Church ever after. He a
the changed his politics,and went ever af
a to the Wing meetings.
With I have preached TO this dog fr
ha- qusntly. He had his regular place
un- the aisle, close to the head of a cert;
ober pew. Here he would lay himself dov
nan with Lis head to the preacher, look
,bu- him in the eye and listening attenti
At ly. | never knew him to 60 to sleep
'ster church before the congregation
'me, dismissed. He was the wonder of
red, who knew him. He came to his
Jung by taking up some poisoned bait t
and had been set for some other dog.
ulti- lengthy notice of him was published
isti- the time m the papers. So lived
= III H. .- F