Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-02-28
Churcli- -GOing Dogs.

NHui Sh-bulHS DVSHs
Everybody knows how the Ettrick
Shepherd pleasantly tells of the dogs
that used to accompany their masters
10 chur ii, in the pastoral district in
which he lived-how they lay quiet and
patient during the whole service, til
the last psalm was sung, and the minis.
ter and congregation stood up for the
blessing, wien their delight at the pros.
pect Of immediate emancipation could
no longer be restrained, but expressed
itself by joyous barking. In the pas
toral districts Of Scotland, the number
of dogs present during divine service
always very much attracts the notice Of
strangers. We heard from the minis.
ter of one Of the most strictly pastoral
parishes in Tweeddale the following
curious anecdote. When he entered oD
his charge, being a stranger to the dis.
trict, he was both surprised and an
noyed at the presence of the numerous
dogs in. church, regarding it pretty
much as the husband OF Jennie Deans
regarded the tobacco pipe with which
the Highland gentleman solaced him.
self during the service, and condemned
it from the pulpit as unseemly, request
ing the shepherds thenceforth to leave
their dogs at home. The shepherds,
perhaps wondered a little, but the re-
quest was generally complied with for
a time. However, there was one
spl ndid collie that soon made his ap-
pearance again, and took up his place
on the pulpit stairs, which he had long
specially appropriated to himself, lying
very quietly, unless some other dog
ventured to set foot upon the stairs, an
intrusion which he would not permit.
One day, the minister met the shep-
herd, the owner of the dog, accompa-
MED, of course, by his faithful attend
ant. The shepherd Immediately re-
ferred apologetically to the subject.
" Ye see sir," he said, "after what We
said to us, We tried to keep the dogs at
hame but this ane was over gleg too
sharp for us. We steekit shut him in
for twa Sabbath-days, but ever sin
that, we ne'er see him on the Sabbath
mornin', he just slips ava scme way on
the Saturday nicht, and the next we see
o him is on the pulpit stairs, when we
come to the kirk" The intelligence
displayed by the dog in the anecdote
just related implies a power of thinking
such as we hardly expect to find IN the
lower animals, besides a remarkable
strength of will, for the dog certainly
lost breakfast, and probably also a
supper, to crafty his desire of occupy
ing his place OF honor on the pulpit
stairs.
We once witnessed an extraordinary
scene in which shepherds dogs were
the actors. An Edinburgh minister
was to preach sermon, on a summer
evening, in an empty wool-barn in one
of the most lonely dales of the southern
highlands in Scotland, and the inhabi-
tants of the dale, mostly shepherds and
their families, were assembled to hear
him. The wool-barn was in the upper
story of two.stor ed building, and the
to it was by an outside stair
without a railing. Tine congregation
consisted of some forty or fifty people,
but the barn would have held much
greater number, and there was a wide
open space between the table at which
the preacher stood and the near seat
placed for his hearers. This the dogs
which the shepherds had brought with
them at once appropriated to themselves
as fit place for amusement. They
evidently did not suppose themselves
to be at church, and felt under no obli-
cation to quiet and orderly behavior.
They were in very frolicsome humor
and at first it seemed doubtful if divine
service could be proceeded with. Oc-
casionally, they all rushed ont by the
open door and n-stairs, but soon re-
turned again to resume their gyrations
on the barn floor. Fortunately, how
ever, it happened, ere.long, that one of
them, in rushing out, touched an earth
enware plate which was set upon the
landing place at the top of the stair for
the collection, usually made in Scotland
on every occasion of public worship,
and knocked it over the edge. The
plate was broken, and the coppers scat
tered on the ground, but the service
went on without further interruptions
from the dogs. Immediately on the
smash and jingle being heard, every dog
disappeared from the barn, and not one
of them showed face again till the con-
was dismissed. They evil
IDENTIFY knew that they had committed a
fault one of them had done the mis-
chief they we're all art and part; and
taking blame to themselves accordingly,
they fled ashamed. What communica-
tions they had among themselves out of
doors, and whether or not any chastise-
ment was inflicted on the careless dog
that overturned the plate, we cannot
ell.-RObert Chambers.