The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-08-07
NUMBER %.
a PTOUS DOG.

Ny father Lad a small and beautiful dog
who reioiced in the name Of Fidelity Lo
differed from other good dogs only it beng
better than others, and in rnauifes, ng
something that resembled religious seasi-
bility. or 4 peculiar attachment to Ieli-I 'us
places, people and service. he s.re'.,lcd
family worship with punctuality and o, z
uIaIity ;hat the other members Oftho house
hold might well have initiated, and ccIt--In-
ly did not surpass. If strange Nere
prcsent-and much company visited our
house-the dogs attention to him was
regulated 10y his taking the lead or not in
the religious worship Of the household.
If the visitor at my fathers request, con
Quoted the worship the dog At once attach
ed himself to his person. and when he
departed the dog escorted him ont OF he
village: sometimes going home with 'im
to neighboring town, and making him
visit of few days. If the visitor did not
perform any religions service in the horse,
the dog took no notice Of him while there,
and suffered him to depart unattended and
evidently unregyetted
Such a dog was, of course, an hab!.ual
attendant on the public services Of the
church on the Sabbath. Itrequired extra
ordinary care to keep him at home. Shut
up in room, he dashed through a wind 'w
and was at church before the family. Tie
was once shut up in an outhouse that lad.
no floor. He dug out under the sill Of the
door, and was at church before the FIST
psalm was sung. In church he occupied
the upper step of the pulpit within which
his master Ininistered. He lay quiet dur
ing the service unless other dogs below
misbehaved in which case he left his seat.
and after quieting the disturbance resumed
it. He was equally devoted to the veelly
prayer meeting which was held from house
to house, the appointment being annou"c-
ed on the Sabbath. lie remembered the
evening and the place, and was always
present. As it was not agreeable to have
dog at an evening meeting at private
house, lie was confined at home. The next
week he went early, before the family lad
thought to shut him up, and waited for
the hour and the people. lie knew the
names Of the families where the meetings
were held, and where they lived, and could
have gone to any one cf them on an er1and
as easily and correctly as a child. Aud
the only knowledge he had Of the place Of
meeting he got as the others did. by hear
ing the notice on Sunday. These habits
of tie dog were not the fruit Of education
On the contrary, pains were taken TO T-e-
vent him from indulgiuG his religious ps,-
feTences. He did not manifest fondnsss
for other meetings, or for any individuals
out Of the family circle except those whom
he recognized by their habits Of praying,
as the people in whom lie was especially
interested.
Ny father was wont u relate many other
anecdotes Of this remarkable animal. and
the relation Of them always caused his eyes
to fill with tears. He had a strong i'm
preston that there was something very
mysterious about this propensity of the
dog, and being himself sternly orthodox
divine, he never venturod to express the
opinion that the dog had moral conceptions.
But l always thought he believed So
From Under TIC Tres, 5y Samuel HsHFnu,
Prime.