The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-27
NUMBER %.
Church Going Dogs.


| Everybody knows how the Ettrick
Shepherd pleasantly tells of the dogs
that used to accompany their masters
to chur,h, in the pastoral district in
which he ived-how they lay quiet and
patient during the whole service, ii ]
the last psalm was sung, and the minis
ter and congregation stood mp 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
/ torai 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 on
hls charge, being a stranger TO the dis
trlct, 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
1t 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
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
intrus on which he would not permit.
One day, the minister met the shep-
hl1-1 Al,a e
MED, of course, by his faithful attend
ant. The shepherd Immediately re-
ferred apologetically to the subject. |
g 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 NIGHT, 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 power of thinking
such as We hardly expect to find IN the
lower animals, besides a remarkable
strength of will, for the dog certainly
supper, to crafty his desire of occupy
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
in Scotland, and the inhabi-
tants of the dale, mostly shepherds and
their families, We're assembled to hear
him. The wool-barn was in the upper
story of a two-stor ed building, and the
to it was by en- outside stair
without n railing. The congregation
but the barn would have held q 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 a fit place for amusement. They
did not suppose themselves
to be at church, and felt under no obi [
CATION to quiet and orderly behavior ]
They were IN a very frolicsome humor
and at first it seemed doubtful if divine
could be proceeded with. Oc-
they all rushed out by the
open door and downstairs, but soon re-
A1L
On the barn floor. Fortunately, how
ever, it happened, ere:long, that one of
them, in rushing out, touched an earth
9nware plate which was set upon the
anding- place at the top of the stair for
5he 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
denbly knew that they had committed
fault one of them had done the mis-
chief they were all art and part and
taking blame to themselves accordingly,
they fed 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
iell.-RObert Chambers.