The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-06
THE PRESS.
[GentlemaH's Magazine
Dickens Dogs.


One of the attractions of Gad's Hill was the
dogs. There were always three or four great
dogs prancing about-Linda, one was named
Great st. Bernard dogs and others. He appre-
ciated dogs, and understood their ways and fine
nature better than anyone, as we see from his
writings. recollect his sort of comic grief as he
related his visit to the well-known monastery OF
st Bernard-when, in answer to his eager in
quiries as TO the saving of life in the snow by
dogs, the good monks had informed him that,
like many two-footed creatures, they enjoyed
reputation they scarcely deserved-and rather
followed the monks than were followed by
them. There was little fox-nosed Pomeran-
an, belonging to one of the young ladies, and
which he had christened by the name of the
landladyin "Box and Cox, Mrs. Bouncer, for
unlike all landladies, she had a dsrelish for
her dodgers At one time 1 was offered mag
nificent Spanish mastiff-one of those awe-in-
spring buff-colored creatures with a great coal
black snout we sometimes meet stalking with
dignity through the street This l made him
present Of, and it was accordingly dispatched to
Gad's Hill and he was much pleased at the
idea of receiving it, The animal spent the
nSht az tuA hOhoO1 oiShiAJAh6 PASDShNS w.
casionaly by long melancholy baying. had
sundry misgivings, as these beasts are OF Zero
cious Find and are or were used in their own
country for the amiable occup patton of hunting
down escaped slaves. However, he liked him;
and Sultan-such was his name-though effect
ing q surlay reserve to every one else, was
sagacious enough to show great affection to the
master of the house. Things went on very well
for time when favorite kitten, admitted
to the drawing room and much petted, one day
unaecountably disappeared. Search was made,
but it was never heard of again-and it was'as-
sumed il had been stolen by one of the tramps
who we're always passing the gate. No suspic-
ion, however, rested on the real culprit. The
next incident shall be related in his masters
own pleasant words, taken from a letter to my
self: "Sultan has grown amazingly, and is a
eight. But he is SO accursedly fieace to the
other dogs that am obliged to take him out
muzzled. Also he has an inVincible Tepug-
nance to soldiers, which, in military district
ike Chatham, is inconvenient. Such is his
spirit that, with his muzzle tight on. he dashed
into the heart OF a company in heavy marching
order, and pulled down a private Except
under such prov ocation heis as gentle and
docile with me as dog can possibly be-"
Later came another incident in Sultans
Career ,s-. si-.
"Last night" he says, 'ths gardener fred at
some man in the garden upon whom he had
come suddenly, and who kicked him in dam
gerous manner. ] Immediately turned out, I'M
loosed Sultan, and hunted the vagabond. We
couldn't get hold of him, but the intelligence
Of the dog, and delighted confidence he impart-
ed TO me, we tumbled across country
in the dark, were quite enchanting. Two pO-
icemen, appearing in the distance and making
professional show of energy, had a narrow
escape. AS he was in the act of rushing at
them, was obliged TO hold him round the neck
with both arms and call on the force to vanish
in an inglorious manner"
"a friend, - he wrote on another OCCASION
"has sent me from America thoroughbred
young black Newfoundland dog since you were
here. Sultan (who hates him mortality, Linda,
l and three or four small dogs, with nature of
canine parasites and toadies, make show in
the lanes ard woods which L Specially beseech
sou TO come and see. We ouly want the re-
newned dog Caesar (alluding to story of mine)
to make us matchless.
He was making rapid way with his master.
ST cannot thank you too much" he wrote
again, "for Sultan. He is Ia noble fellow, has
fallen into the ways of the family with grace
and dignity that denote the gentleman. and
came down to the railway to welcome me home
with profound absence of interest in my indi-
vidual. opinion of him which captivated me
completely. / am going home to-day to take
him about the country and improve his ac-
quaintance. You will find a perfect under
standing between us, hope, when you next |
come. He has only swallowed Bouncer once,
and temporarily
sAll this was friendly and encouraging; but
in the household and among the neighbors,
suspicion was rife. 1t was alarming to hear of
his having broken loose, muzzled and coming |
home covered with blood. t
HE went off one day to have a sort of prize |
fight with dog of his own size, weight and age
residing at some distance off, of whom he was
Jealous, and after a terrible battle left him |
almost for dead. Yet his master still chung to
him. Indeed, no dog ever had such chance |
or was more tolerated. But at last it came to |
a fatal point beyond which liberation could not |
safely go. One day scream was heard at the |
gate, and those who rushed out found that he |
had seized a neighbours child by the leg. 1t |
was rescued Just in time, though mangled. |
This was an outrage for which the country |
round exacts one satisfaction. The keeping of |
a ferocious dog is not tolerated.
Fortunately the luckless dog did no serious |
mischief. But he little guessed that he had |
sealed his own doom. The child's leg was sore |
and stiff, bnt it has not presented single bad |
symptom, and she has very nearly recovered |
from her fright OF course, after this warning, |
there could be no doubt that SO fierce On ami
NAL should not be kept. Mr.. Dickens of course |
Immediately hogged him at the time. He |
knew as well as possible how gnilty he was.
He was muzzled and shut up for the night, and |
yesterday morning the gardener took him to
the end of the meadow and shot him, and he |
was buried in the field. The poor dog dropped |
without struggle or even cry, am happy to |
Bay-So the execution was performed as skill |
fully and mercifully as it could be done. The
gardener took him as far away from the house |
rs he could to kill him; still, we all heard the |
shot, and can't tell you how terrible it was.
We all went ito bed dreading it the night be-
fore, and don't think we any of us slept for an
hour at a time during the night from the dread
and expectation of hearing the execution We
were all afraid the poor dog would give howl
which would be heard long way. Every way,
l think the poor dog is better dead, for he had
out without muzzle since the time when he
nearly killed our neighbours dog"
Such was the account of one of the family.
But to the master himself there was something
trsgically dramatic in the affair. And he wrote
Of the event-an important one in the district
10 myself and other friends: "Your mention of
the late Sultan touches me nearly He was the
finest dog ever saw, and between me and him
there was perfect understanding. But to
adopt theipopular phrase, it was SO very conf
Dental that 1t went no further He would fly
at anybody else with the greatest enthusiasm |
for destruction. have frequently seen him,
muzzled, hold great dog down with his chest
and feet. He has broken loose (muzzled) and
come home covered with blood again and again.
And yet he never disobeyed me, unless he had
first laid hold of dog. You heard of his going
to execution, evidently supposing the process
ion to be party detached in pursuit of some
thing to kill or eat? 1t was very affecting. |
Also of his boiling a blue-eyed kitten and
making me acquainted with the circumstance
by his agonies of remorse Tor indigestion)."
-a.. New England Farmer.l