Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-28
NO. 176.
Dickens Dogs.
Amour rHE FRIENDSHIPS HE
MADE AMONG THE CANNES.

Dickens interest in dogs, Mr. Forster saws
was ineNhaustible. and he welcomed with de-
light any newly discovered trait in their char
acter. The society of his own dogs he ar
IDENTIFY enjoyed He Invariably kept two or
more mastiffs to guard his house against the
undesirable wayfarcrs who haunted the high
road hard BY. OF all these his special favor
ite was Turk. "a noble animal. full OF afiec-
tion and intelligence" who had as his CO.
mate Linda. 'superbly beautiful creature
the scion of n st. Bernard, brought over by
Albert Smith These two dogs happened to
be with him in the walk when he tell lame.
and. boisterous companions as they were, the
sudden change in their masters gait brought
them to 4 stInd-stii. As he limped home.
three miles through tile snow, they crept at
his side at the same slow pace, and never
once turned away from him. Dickens was
greatly moved at the time by their solicitous
behavior. and often atterward spoke ofTurk's
upturned face rs full of sympathy mingled
with fear, and of Linda's inconsolable dejec-
ton. A railroad brought death to Turk and
sorrow to his master; and then came Sultan,
Il cross between a ST. Bernard and a blood
hound built like a lioness. but OF such in
domitahle aggressive propensities, that, after
breaking loose and well nigh devouring n
mall sister of one of the servants. he was at
first hogged and then sentenced to be shot at
the next morning. "le went OUT saws
Dickens, very cheerfully with the half doz.
en- men told OF for the purpose, evidently
thinking they were to be the death of some
body unknown. But observing in the pro-
cession an empty wheelbarrow and double
barrclled gun. he became meditativc and fixed
the bearer of the gun with his eyes. A stone
deity thrown across him by the village black
guard--the chief mourncr--caused him tn
Ioal roupI m and thnp ha fnll
dead, shot through the heart. Two postum
nous children are at the moment rolling on
the lawn; one will evidently inherit his feroc-
ity and the other will inherit the gun" The
description of Dickens welcome by his dogs
on his return from America-how they lifted
their heads to have their ears pulled. an at
tention received from him alone how Linda.
weeping profusely, threw herself on her back
that she might caress his foot with her large
fore paws and how the terrier, Mrs. Bouncer,
barking furously, tore round him like the
dog in the Faust outlincs"-will show at once
the tender relations that existed between the
great novelist and his canine friends.
But we must not omit little Snittle Tim
berry, present from Mitchell. the
comedian, during Dickens first visit to
America Timber Doodle was the original
name of the small. shaggy white terrier; but
Snitte Timberry was deemed bv his new
owner to he more sonorous and expressive.
When Dickens and Snittle both suffered Mt
Albaro in Italy, the one from swarms of
mosquitoes, and the other from fcas, the dog
came off the worst; there was no chance but
to shave Off every hair of his body. at is
very awful" writes Dickens. 'to see him
creep into room. He knows the change upon
him. and is always turning round and round
to look for himself. ! think he'll die of
grief" Dickens sympathy with dogs,
and especially with their humor was illus
trated by his story of the very comical dog
that caught his eye in the middle of read
ing, and, after intently looking at him for
some time, bounced out into the center aisle
and tried the effect of bark upon the pro-
ceedings, when Dickens burst into such
paroxysm of laughter that the audience
roared again and again with him. The dog
came the next night also, but met with
very different reception; for, having given
warning of his presence u an attendant near
the door by suppressed bark and touch on
the leg, he was caught IN fagranfe deiicto
when with his eye upon Dicsens he was just
about to give louder tongue, and was whirled
with hands over the attendants head into the
entrance behind whence he was promptly
kicked by the check takers into the street.
Next night he came again, and with another
dog whom che had evidently promised to
pass in free" but the check takers were pre-
pared.-From Temple Bar.