Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-06
Misfellaneous.
OUR DOG In CHURCH.


sitting so quiet. In this there was some
thing awesome for our dog, and when out
OF this unnatural quiet they rose suddenly
to sing, our dog was frightened, and
would have run out of doors, only the
doors were closed He soon recovered
himself. They We're only folks, after all
such as he saw every day in street and
house.
He began to recognize one after another.
He tried to get up a little sociability with
them, but they took little or no notice Of
him. Everybody seemed strangely con-
strained and altered Our dog is pet,
and this cut him. But his is self-reliant,
recuperative nature, SO he threw himself
on his own resources for amusement. He
was delightfully."- ignorant of the proprie-
ties of church or church service. The
choir is separated from the congregation
only by p slightly raised platform. On
this walked our dog. Again there was
singing. He smelt first at the organ he
then smelt of the organist, and wagged
his tail at him. The organist looked with
an amused and kindly eye, but he could
not stop. Our dog then smelt of the basso
profundo; he smelt of the tenor; he smelt
them first on one side and then on the other.
Then he went back and resmelt them all
over again; also the organ. That was
little curious. There might be chorus
OF dogs inside, and that man at the keys
tormenting them. To him, at any rate,
it was not melody. He walked around it
and smelt at every crack and corner, to
get at the mystery. He tried to coax
little familiarity out of that choir They
seem to be having a good time of course
he wanted hand or paw in it himself.
1t was of no use. He stood and looked,
and wagged his white, bushy tail at them
as hard as he could But, selfshly, they
kept all the pleasure to themselves. So he
left the choir and came down again among
the congregation. There sure enough.
were two little girls on the back seat
He knew them; he had enjoyed many a
romp with them. Just the thing! Up he
jumped with his paws on that back seat
yet even they We're in no humor for play.
They pushed him away, and looked at
each other, as if TO say, ''Did you ever
see such conduct in church?'
1t was rebuff everywhere. Our dog
would look closer into this matter. The
congregation were all standing up. So he
walked to the open end of pew, jumped
on it and behind the peoples backs, and
walked to get in front Of the little girls,
that lie might have an explanation with
them. just then the hymn ceased. Every
body on that bench came near sitting on
our dog. 1t was terrible scramble to get
out.
Still he kept employed. There was q
line of chairs in the AISLE In one of these
deliberately sat our dog. If everybody
would do nothing but sit still and look at
that man in the pulpit, so would he. But
somehow he moved one hind leg inadvert-
emily. 1t slipped over the chairs edge.
Our dog slipped over with it, and came as
near tumbling as a being with four legs
can. All this made noise, and attracted
attention. Little boys and girls and big
boys and girls snickered and snorted and
strained as only people can snicker, snort
and strain where they ought not to. Even
some OF the elders made queer faces. The
sexton then tried to put our dog out. But
he had no idea OF going. He had come
with our folks. and he was not going until
they went. The strong man grabbed for
him, and he lodged him time and again
with all his native grace and agility. This
was something like it was fun. The SEX
ton gave up the chase; it was running
the sermon. Our dog was sorry to see
him go and sit down; he stood at dis
tance and looked at him, as if to say,
well, amt you going to try it again ?"
No. No more of that. Nobody was
doing anything save that man in the pull
pit. Oour dog would go up to see what
all that was about. So he marched up the
main aisle, and as he did so he waved in
majestic and patronizing sort of way,
his bushy tail, and it seemed to say, 'swell,
you can set here, glum and silent, if
you've mind to. l do no such thing.
m dog; need none of your preach
ing; I'm superior to all that Things go
easy enough with me, without coming
here once week to sit silent, sad, mel
ancholy and stupid, and be scolded at by
a man whom you pay for it.
Then in an innocent and touching igno-
rance that he was violating all the pro-
prieties OF time and place, our dog went
boldly up on the pulpit stairs while our
minister was preaching, and stood and
surveyed that audience with confidence
and assurance which, to nervous and
inexperienced speaker, would be better
than gold or diamonds. He didn't care.
He smelt of the minister. He thought
he'd try and see if the latter were in a
mood for any sociability. No; he was
buster than any OF the rest. The stupid
ity and silence of all this crowd of peo-
pie who sat there and looked at him pug
zled our dog.
lie could see no sense in it. Some
little boys and girls did smile as he stood
there: seemingly, those smiles were for
him. But so soon as he reciprocated the
apparent attention, so soon as he made
for them, the smiles would vanish, the
faces become solemn. And so at last,
with yawn, our dog flung himself on the
aisle floor, laid his head on his tore paws
and counted over the beef bones he had
buried during the week. Not word OF
the sermon touched him; it went clear
over his head From Our Monthly Cos
sip, in Lippincott's Magazine for March