The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-04-13
Town Dogs and Country Dogs.

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Town Dogs and Country Dogs.
The town dog is a citizen of the world
and prides itself on knowing how to be-
have in all situations, how to treat gem
tlemen, tramps and small boys. ss'Tis
foul thing, says Lamce, "when cur
cannot keep himself in all companies. "
1t is often more friendly with strangers
than with its own master; just as GER
tain barrister who was walking up to the
court in a wig and gown, on being greeted
by his father, who was dressed in rus
tic fashion, gave him patronizing nod
and, on being asked who his friend. Twas,
replied carelessly: s.Only fellow that
| know" The country dog, ON the other
hand, has but one master, and reverences
him. No dog is idle in the country; in
short, what chiefly differences the rustic
dog from his town brethren is that he
has strong sense of duty. The town
dog, unless he belongs to very serious
master, makes no difference between
working days and Sunday. The country
dog invariably knows and respects the
day of rest (hke some nobler animals),
by indulging on. that day in more sleep
than usual. He never thinks of accom-
panying his master on Sunday, although
on other days it would puzzle his owner
to escape from the house without him.
Scotch collies are the most reyerential of
country dogs, and invariably go to kirk
with their masters. Indeed, kinks are
sometimes estimated over the borders as
being big enough to hold twenty or SO
many more collies. The country dog,
again, is an excellent guard to his mas
ter's house, his suspicious feelings not
being continually lulled to sleep by the
number of people coming and going,
as with his town brother. If he has a
vice, it consists in baying the moon. Then
he contrives to murder sleep in rustic
solitudes as effectually as do the cats in
"a town square. He has two failings-
one when, being shepherds dog, he
takes to worrying game, young part
ridges, grouse and the like; the other,
when grown sly and bloodthirsty, he
illustrates Shakespeare lines as being
The dog that had his teeth before his eyes
To worry lambs and lap their innocent blood.
But then Shakespeare never had good
word to fling to dog. This was the one
form of life for which he had no SYM
patty; perhaps, from his experience of
men, he disliked to see what should be
their virtues more strongly reflected in
the disposition of dogs. Few more gro
tesque sights are visible in the country
than the spectacle of a country dog so
far forgetting its sedateness as to romp
and play with one of its kind. The par
sons Scotch terrier may, indeed, find
time for such frivolity, but every other
dog is too hard-worked. What the bear
in the street was to the town dog is the
sweeping cry of the fox-hounds to his
country cousins. They are ineffably dis
gusted and, perhaps, little bit
afraid of this abrupt invasion. For the
time being, too, their services are dis
pensed with, and themselves sighted in
the eyes of their masters, who are alto
gether taken up with the excitement OF
the sport. A wandering Scotchman play
ing the bagpipes is another of their pet
diversions. His music is too harsh for
their sensibilities. They are not so ready
for fray as their town brethren; but
when they once begin they fight in earn
est, like heroes of the prize-ring, who
'smean business" Fortunately coun-
try dog has thick, shaggy neck, for the
most part, and the author of sRab and
his Friends has taught us how their most
desperate enemies may be appeased by a
pinch of snuff, like Virgifs bees, aoulUeris
erigui jactu Bearing in mind the sedate
character and many solid virtues of the
country dog, it is with much regret that
we see from the last report of the Com
missioners of Inland Revenue that
marked decrease of dogs has occurred
this last year in the country. In what a
sorry plight town dog soon finds him.
self if he ventures into the country is
strikingly illustrated by the unfortunate
dog which annually appears on the
course when the Derby is shout to be
run. A country dog detected in any
grave fault, running after sheep and the
like, meets with scant forbearance; q
short shrift and long rope awaits him.
His town brother frequently escapes after
some nefarious deed. with nothing worse
than an ayenging Nemesis in the shape
of tin kettle tied to his tail. Then he
vanishes suddenly some day. That is all.
Perhaps he is flung into what anglers
know as the Bow-wow Pool, near the
bridge a sweet morsel for pike. When
the country dog fulfills the adage that
every dog has his day, he generally OBJ
tains decent burial. The boys with
whom he has romped plant dog-violets
over his grave. and write his epitaph,
appropriately enough, in dog Latin
London Graphic.