The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-17
DOG AND BABY.


"A family dog had incidentally made the ac-
quaintance of little, bandy-leggel, sunny
haired toddiing, the young darling Of a neigh
Dor on the other side of the street. While ly-
ing on the door-stone with his dreamy eyes
peerng out this way and that in short specu-
lations. he had noticed this little. thing, some
times on the pavement, sometimes at the
chamber window, extemporizing those small
entertainments which infant minds enjoy
Now, from time immemorial, there has been
a spontaneous affinity or fellowship between
children and large, shaggy, honesteyed dogs
generally commencing when both go on all
fours. Whoever has watched the countenance
of great Newfoundander or st. .Bernarder,
while looking from the hearthside to a chubby,
chirpy perky baby, wngsling across the floor
on its hands and feet, in those frog-like hitch
ings which the first and last children born in
to the world have begun to walk it in; who
ever has thoughtfuliy looked into such dogs
face at such sight, SO proud and joyful to
expression of intelligence and sympathy more
than human. That is the dogs day of honor
and glajness in the family circle. There he
Is on the floor with his masters youngest
child on an equal footing. he sees and feels
It; let no one doubt that. Here and now
they are both quadrupeds in faculties and
manner of motion. He loves to see the moth.
er take the little being from her bosom and
place ii, back upward, on the carpet, and bub-
? bic over with inarticulate raptures to see it
work itself along from one figure to another.
Don't put a selfish thought into that dogs
mind. Don't say that he feels an unworthy
pleasure in the proof that every grand emper
o., anu every nlan that ever walked the earth
since Adam, had to serve his apprenticeship
on the floor on all tours, and move over it in
fashion which might well move the sympa-
thy of puppy of the same age, or any other
little quadruped of benevolent disposition. No,
area Newfoundlander is too generous for
comparisons so lerogatory to his masters hui
mainly. 1t is not with the sympathy ofpity,
but OF love, that he watches the movements of
the little being on the carpet or in its mothers
arms. He longs and loves to take part in
bringing it on. he loves to feel its little, short,
fat arms buried in the long hair of his neck !,
Its soft, white fingers clasping his long ears
What Juggling and touziing, and pinching and
pulling at the tail he will take, in all the fun
whine or vince even with pain that would
make the father of the child cry out and put
bitten finger to his mouth And what mem
Der of the family circle is prouder or happier
than he when that child finishes his long ap-
premiership as quadruped, and stands for
the first time upright on what were once his
hind-feet, and makes two steps forward before
its hmpsy body loses its balance, and it comes
down again to its original condition in
squashy conclusion with its forehead against
the floor? Doesn't he, with all the intenig1.
bic speech of eye and tail, say just what the
father says with more fun in his face sDont
cry, Teddy up and try itagainp With what
tenderness and delight he turns saddle-horse
and carriage horse for the little thing when it
is first taken out doors to see the birds and
near them sing, and be introduced to the old
Muiiy in her cramp.ed horns, to Jenny The
pony, and to the ieathered bipeds of the barn
yard circlei OF all the eyes watching that
child up to boyhood, whose are fixed on HIM
oftener, longer and fondlier than those now be-
ginning to look out dimly from under the gray
eyebrows of that old house-dogp The y ,uth,
full of life and ylgor, does not remember the
time when he crept on his hands and feet
across the floor; but that old dog, mapping
longer at the fireside now than then, remem-
bers 1t, and follows hun with all his first loye
ami truthluiness; follows him often, hesitat-
ingly and wistfuly at a distance, even when
told to Ego back" in q toe that goes to his
heart. That eve follows him last as he recedes
from sight, and greets him first on his return.
It's look at its last closing is full of its first love:
and j. 1t were permitted to open again in par
adlse it would glisten there in the light of that
love mquenchedb by the grave.
This dog was endowed with the nature that
does honor to his kind and good to a higher
race. Lying there by tine door-stone or max
ins short morning trocs up and down the side
walk, he espied this little child on the other
side of the street. If the truth were known,
am sure that it would be found thar the
child's father had no dog tor his home, and the
dogs owner had no child for his. This was
probably the secret of their first acquaintance.
Their sympathies and afinities worked in
them to the same Impulse. Fhe dog, on one
OF his walks on that side of the Street, met
the baby turnout, and looked over the rim of
the little basket carriage, and looked, as low
ing dog can look, straight into pair of baby
eyes, peeping upward With querying wonder at
the blue word above. 1t was'the race he had
seen against the nursery window nom the OPP
posite side. Or course, seeing such a hairy
tace, with its tender eyes, come suddenly be-
tween Its own and the sun, the child cooked
up rat foot, crowed, bit athumb, smiled, and
said "good morning. as well as it could. The
dog understood it, anyway. Human friend
ships and loves as long as eternity have often
commenced on as small beginning OF Incl
dent: and so began the beautiful sympathy
and companionship between this intelligent,
aHectionate creature and the infant child of
his owners neighbor just where the line of
demarcation between the two races of beings
Is tine thinnest and most obscure. Little by
little, day by day, and week by week, this COM
partnership went on, growing with the growth
and streng thening with the strength of the
little one. The dog, doubtless because his
master had no young child of his own, came
at last to transfer frequently his watch and
ward to the dOor-stone on the other side of
the street; to follow as a guard of honor the
bahys carriage on its daily airings, darting
proLd and warning looks at all the breed of
bakers on the way that seemed impertinent
or inquisi.i live. He assisted at the inaugura.
ton OF its first perpendicular footing OF two
yards of the garden walk. He led the way
dawn the aisle, barking his great round barlxS
of Joy, and waving the little one On with the
proudiy-curved standard Of his tail. WIFI,
what delight he gave himself up to ali the net.
tings, Pike inys and pullings and little rrIde
romDino IS and rough-and -tumblings that those
baby-hands could disport themselves with u
Thus grew their mutual attachments. And
to this 1t had gown, when one day, as the dog
lay in watch and ward by the door-stone, the
cLdI, paerins out OF the window above, lost
it, balance a ID lel head-foremost upon the
stone pavement below. 1t never breathed
again. Ii wa, takel up out of the puddle of
blood with fro ured Skull, lnotionless and dead.
lac red drops OF the .youus lie had bespatter-
Ell the feet and face of the dog as he sprang TO
tae rescue. His heart died out w.tlin him,
In one long, whining mo IN of grief. From
LAT moment he had refu sed to eat. He refils-
ed to be comforted by his masters voice and
Dy bis masters home. Day BY day, and night
BY night, he lay upon the spot where the child
fell, with his shaggy throat pressed closely to
the pavement, as If he would warm to lie
again the blood that had stained lit El;hm
Rur,i 4 l-"t~