The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10
Iseleeted storyf
JOHNNY's OPINION OF HIMSELF.
By TIE AUTHOR OF "JoHs HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.

the sanctity of my private life-a proceeding OBJ
noxious to both dogs and men.
Iconclude am both good dog and pretty
dog, or the artist would not have taken so much
pans to draw my likeness. There 1t is, hung on
the wall-and very good likeness, can assure
you. The young lady who Is fondling me, and
whom am trying hard to kiss, is, beg distinctly
to state, not my mistress. That lady is O much
older, graver, and more alarming person, for
whom have the utmost respect; but as for kiss
ing her-dear mel! should never think Of such
thing. For, has she not been, ever since can
remember, my nadgister nso'1n (Which Is canine
Latin know, but never mind,) the stern guar
dian of my morals, the awful arbitress Of my
destiny Were II not for her-but no more Per-
hsps, like most young animals, l shall learn to
appreciate her better az grow older.
must have been very young when came to
this house. Indeed, have but the faintest recol.
lection of any other. Sometimes think my first
was taken out Of solitary confinement In thisg
called a hamper-too small for me to do anything
more than just stretch myself, too dark to see
anything; and as for hearing. had been nearly
rumblmg, rolling, and fzzing intermingled
with sharp shrieks, which nearly. fright.
ened me to death. / sfterwsrd understood
this TO have been railway journey. Out Of its
warmed and FED, then spirited of again, half
asleep. Remember nothing else, until found
myself peeriDg out Of the clutches Of small boy,
who conveyed me along solitary green road
wee dog ~ said she aud Immediately received
me into her arms. She carried me home herself.
Her words were so kind, her shawl 80 warm and
comfortable, that had little fear of her. and be-
gan biting her sleeve with great content. Alas
since then-but let me not forestall events.
As have said, my name is Johnny. am, as
you may observe, Skye terrier-of noble birth,
/ presume, since, whenever l hear my origin
talked about, there are sure 70 be references to
the dukes gamekeeper." Whether l belong
10 the duke or the gamekeeper, cannot discover,
In the absence Of proof, let us suppose it was the
duke.
Ny personal appearance speaks for itself, and.
a. am always mentioned as being thorough
bred, " trustmy manners are quite unexceptional,
as well as my principles. know my mistress has
her own crotches ON the subject of what consti.
tuies q gentleman, so let Us hope that dog of the
purest breed should not be otherwise than dog
Of the highest character.
She Ito cave trouble | will always write her
down as She, with q capital 81 must have desired
me TO become such, for She commenced my edu.
cation very early. The first thing she did after
feeding me was attempting to make me clean.
Now, don't Ike TO be washed; dogs never
donor children, neither and | was so very
young, a mere baby, indeed. She treated me
Ike baby. She put on big apron. had tub
OF warm water ready, into which She soused me,
soaping and rubbing me with her own hands,
until all my pretty curls were wetted through. /
shrank into the size of rat, and came out, strug-
Cling no more, bat shaking all over. She laid me
me, then put me into little round basket lined
with flannel, where / could Just curl myself
round. and which She called my cradle" But
sfterward, finding shivefed still, though more
with fright than cold, She coaxed me out of it,
and taught me to run backward and forward in
The warm sunshine after her feet. This was SO
amusing that soon recovered myself, and showed
my pleasure by biting her stocking and tearing
piece out Of her gown.
After that / was washed every week-and i
am yet. No doubt 1t Is for my good; but it is
very unpleasant, and l don't like unpleasant
things.
Gradually became accustomed to the house,
and preferred it to the garden, which was some
timessoppy, sometimes snowy, and it being winter,
always cold. But the house was comfortable.
There we're carpets and rugs in every Dom. de-
ightful TO sleep upon, and to tear to pieces when
least, thought SO at first, but time has taught me
i shall never forget my first lesson in this mat
ter. One day, after sleeping on q worked sofa
cushion, l found it consisted OF the head of dog
like myself-only much bigger and uglier. A
portrait, though | then thought II reality. Of
course attacked 1t at once, and finding it did not
resist, would have torn 1t to pieces, but it was
tough. And, besides, was half afraid. 1t might
have come Give, and then what would have be-
come Of me! So contented myself with dragging
it about the floor, and knawing one OF its tassels
to bits. had satisfactorily accomplished this,
when in came my master and mistress
Now, my master has the tenderest heart in the
world. he would let me do anything, wrong or
right. If by chance he gives me sharp word,
he takes and cuddles me up, and calls me the best
of doggies, and says may do anything choose
which, of course, do. Nay, one day when had
been amusing myself in the garden by biting of
certain obnoxious plants, newly set In the borders,
and had been accordingly punished, heard him
whisper to himself Never mind, my wee doggie.
you're more to me than all the geranums in the
gardeD!" | am sure he would never have said
word il had eaten up all the four tassels instead
Of only one but he looked at my mistress, who
looked very grave.
'This can't 60 on" said She.
ono, but Johnny meant no harm-he doesn't
know right from wrong"
"How is he to know IL unless we teach him! Ii
is our fault, not the doggie's. But If We don't
make him understand, he'll grow up a nuisance
to everybody in the house. He must be pun
ished."
al suppose So" said my master, and turned
away.
Then my mistress took me up in her arms,
showed me the tassel, called me " naughty dog !"
many times over, in a grave, severe, sorrowful
voice, and then-She whipped me. Not so as to
hurt me, but STILL enough TO show how very angry
She was with me and She being peraoni who Is
not often angry, made il more alarming still.
shrank into the smallest possible compass on The
fOor then sliDked away into corner, with my
tail between my legs, and the tears running down
from my eyes-and never gnawed the cushion
again.
This was my FIRST grievous sin that l remem-
ber-but, no doubt, committed great many
more. Indeed, l was always doing wrong things.
The servants-who, must say, have always been
uncommonly kind to me-were forever complain.
ing TO my mistress Of the things tore and de.
stroyed. even got into her bedroom and bit her
newest and neatest pair Of boots. heard her say
the mice had done it, and that she must get cat
Immediately but knew in my secret heart that it
was not the mice--ft was 1.
Then, as the spring came on. the garden, which
you must know, is the delight and pride OF my
mistress heart, became my most favorite play
place, and, of course, every day something I'M
comfortable was happening. One morning the
gardener came TO her with serious couutenance,
Il should observe that she had given strict orders
that no one should punish me but herself)
"Ma'm," said he, I" that dog will be the ruin
Of Us. He has jumped among my cuttings,
scratched up my seeds, bitten the tops of my
young blossoms, and as to the number of flower
pots he has broken, 1t is endless. Oh, what
nuisance is dog in garden J"
"Still, we can't keep him out of It," said She,
signing, eve can only teach him to behave him
self in il. he is such young dog-perhaps he'll
mend I'll take him in hand myself"
From that time, every plant destroyed-and
shouldn't ike ito count them-She took me to it,
showed il to me. and then scoIded and whipped