, 1873-01-26

~
was certainly miserable dog.
But wondered to SEQ him run SO obstinatoly
IN tho middle Of the road, when there WAS room
IN plenty for him On the pavement. He was a
ehop-fronts ho could have slipped unnoticed
through the crowd, and not have exposed him
self to be run over by the cabs and whipped By
tho Carriers But no; he preferred tho road
where the mud was, and ho ran straight before
him, without looking right or left, just exactly
as if he know the way.
| might have paid no moro attention to this
dog, for there arc enough Of whom I take on
notice; but observed that be had collar round
his neck, and that to his collar was attached q
carries basket is either d dog sent ont on an
errRnd or runaway dog who has left hi5 mas
ter, and does not know where to go. Now which
could this one be II he vas dog that ran on
that his ribs should look leas spare But if
he WAS dog who had left his master, and run
away into the world to face. care mud trouble
| alone, what hardahips or what crueIties had he
had to suffer, tLat he should have taken such d
step in despair2 I felt I should like to have
these questions answered, for there WAS some
| thing Of mystery in them +; + therefore followed
the dog.
We we're in Oxford street, in that part of it
| which lies between the Marble Arch and Duke
| OF the Regent Circus. It WAS . dull wet day in
| winter; the rain had been falling. A gray fog
was spreading its vapors along the road, and
every ons looked co1d and uncomfortable.
few shops were being lighted up here and there,
| for evening was setting in. But the contrast
between the glare Of the gas and the occasional
glow of the red coal fires burning chee1i1y in the
CRATES OF ground-hoor par1ors, only served to
make the streets Bee1u more dark and dreary.
And yet tho dog went pattering on, going at \
sort OF quick jog-trot pace, keeping his cars
always down, and paying no attention either to
the omnibuses that rolled by h1m, the coster-
mongers who sworo at him, or the other dogs
who stopped at times With puzzled air,
with h him. T Il is as astonishine p how w
thut squalid dog could trot! Was afraid more
than once that he would distance me, but, thanks
middle Of the road, Was prevented from losing
sight Of him. We passed North AudleV street,
after that Duke street, and we then came oppo-
site q small street which forms very narrow
and dirty thosoughfare at the end which is near
est Oxford street. Here the dog paused for
moment. and appeared to hesitate as to what he
should do. He made few steps forward, then
receded; but, finally, seemed to make up his
mind, and entered the street, still trotting.
There was no one there. The dim drizzling
rain, which had begun to. fall again, the
cold, and the fog had all scared away the habit
ual frequenters Of the one or two sordid cook
shops that line both sides Of the way. There
was only q rag-nnd-bone-man sorting broken
old age and misery. The dog went on. Tho
street grows wider Is one proceeds, and the
houses also become better and cleaner. asked
myaeH whether the dog could possibly have his
home about here, and whether he would not sud
denly disappear down IN area, in which case the
romance Of the thing would hare been ended,
and should have had my walk for nothing.
But no, he turned abruptly OF at news, and
after few seconds Of the came apparent hesita-
tion ns before, Stacked his pace aud stopped op-
posite public house.
A news is never quite empty. There arc
always grooms 1oafing about in doorways, or
etable-boys going in and out Of wash-houses.
At the moment when the dog and appeared,
brougham, and couple Of men were helping
him. OPP poaito, and exchanging remarks with
them from the threshold OF the pub1ic-house.
stood u servant in breeches smoking . long
clay pipe the dog was standing still but all
at once, before had time to suspect what was
going to happen, ho roso up on his hind legs and
commenced walking gravely round in circles.
The man with the breeches and tho clay pipe
the coachman raised their heads, and, upon eee-
ing this strange sight, left their work and clus
tered up to look. A few more people, attracted
by the noise, came md Joined Us. We soon
formed ring.
It seemed to please the dog to see us all around
him, for he grayely wagged his tail once to and
Ho walked dvo times round on his
hinder legs, looking hdIsy daty seh before adn him
bis best, poor dog!-1 could see that
to make us hugh. For my part, seeing the
others remain speech1ess in their astonishment,
laughed aloud to encourage him but shall
say the truth ? folt more ready to cry. Thoro
was something evpressibly sad in tho se1ious OK
preston OF this lonely dog, performing by him
self few tricks that some absent master had
taught him, and doing so OF his own accord, With
some secret end in view that ho himself only
--E &-tr+ &f~w w1ot1,a
set to work again, but this time on his fosefeet,
pretending to stand on his head. And what
poor, intelligent head it was, az almost shaving
the ground, 1t looked appealingly at US al, and
seemed to say: "pleaSo e;; 90 not play any p5nnks
around on his head until he was
weary, he lay down in the midst OF the ring and
made believe to be dead. He went through MI
sps 1 % d1E S %{ dg T sys'GMg ta M hes snd
then turning over motion1ess. And he did this
80 we'll that stout, honest-faced woman who
had been looking without laughing, exclaim-
cd =" Poor beast /" and drow her hand across her
eyes.
The rain continued to fall, but not one Of US
thought Of moving, only the dog, when he had |
lain dead minute, rot up and shook himself, to
show us all that tho performance Was ended. BE |
had displayed the extent OF what he knew, and |
now came forward to receive his lee he stood
OF us separately, assumed the posture that is |
popularity known as ssbegging." L MAS the first |
to whom he came. He gazed at me- in- |
quiringly with his soft eyes wide |
patiently to my wai.tcoat-poc The basket |
round his neck Was round one with a lid to it |
tied down with strng and little slit in the lid |
through which to put in money. dropped in q |
shilling and stopped down to read bit Of crum-
pied paper saw hanging loosely from the col
lar It bore fheae words. written IN q ehAky |