New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-29
IN bIEMORIAM.
A TRUE HISTORY OF A TRUE FRIEND.


friends ever had "a beautiful, intelligent. oc'ionate
devoted friend to ana mine. We first made his ac
quaintance year and half ago III pcNonshI'' "u'ie
he was born. Nobody knew who hs father was nor iS
mother whether he ever had home before ue came
to the house we occupied that summer He was then
two or three months old. There vas theory among
the children that he had been born in tire and lived
there for il used to be his habit At rst to take refuge III
the upper branches of the nearest one from such
troubles and uncertainties Is besct his carly HE lie
came to the house to he icd hut his confidence was
so slowly won even by the uuremitt1g attentions Pad
him the very beginning, that during the lr week
he preferred passing his nights abroad II grew TO he
so much matterO,course to spend the early morning
in hunting for him that he called Shark. When the
end OF tie summer came and the house was gwen w.
and the rest OF the family ready 10 start ior the
train Shark though long before domesticated was miss
ing He was vainly sought tor ill the last moment HIS
friends had depart without hm bur left behind WIN
the garjenerand with every available pcrsonpr"mise oil
such liberal reward for his return hut not many days
elapsed before he made the Journey to London III the
personal care Of the guard and IN basket with ample
store OF food and drink. Ie met 81 the PAddlngon
Station. remember being tOld-for was then abroad
that II was supp osed that on release from his long
confinement in the basket he might he Wild Every
preparation made 70 allow fun scope to his spirits
The china and other little ttrgs about the room were
put away But when the did was taken on marx mercy
stretched himself ont OF the basket, sayo greeting 10
the assembled company. and look possession oil lhe
hearth rug with an air Of conscious proPietorep which
the event fully justified This p0sure in the presence
of lie su- pccted was always of his characteristics
He was none the creature OF contrat-cne momeht
the most playful Of kittens. the next the most di@hed
of the company From that day lie has been the darHhH
of the house In such small point, as were waning 10
his education he proved easily elchable, and strictly
obcdIent TO rules made known 10 hin In all else
he was master of the establishment, and his VIII an
uudisputed law TO everybody III II.
In all that there is nothing, perhaps, that IA unpre
ccdcuted. II might account for the ah'cuon we al
bore him. Int not justify this public tribute 70 MS
memory don't know that care 10 just1yit. Whoever
knew Shark If it but the slightest acquaintance
discovered in him qualities and traits OF character winch
made him. do say the choicest specimen OF his race
but in things much nearer to ours man 10 MS
own that they recognized the place lac had taken In the
family as the most natural thing In the world Ana
wi say In justice to cats in general that some OF their
finest characteristics not those for which they are
most praised. among them a splendid selhahHess
frankly shown which in these days Of conventional pre-
tence and hollow pOteness deserves the credit NJ least
due to peIfec, sincerity of nature. Shark never pre-
tended TO any better than he was He accepted an
the homage offered him and prohted by IT. Acknowledged
the obligation in his own way, but with never the
least accaton Of prccrng other peOples convenience
to his own Hypocrisy a thing abhorrent TO him
or rather is TO be said he dill not know what II was
He was perfectly OF the delight the children TOOK
III caressihS MN II lie IcI. iAe o''i' "
ccp'eu 'H'A "''' . 'oH - ~ -, d.. -. n.,,o
out anger ahd without cin''i' a''N''"' p,' 80
oiS'lh'''h III lawn VI ' W. -, -
Werehcaitr his own aS''""u WI" '"''' ~ g" 80,
greater freedom of manner ana certainty OF not beng
misunderstood Nor was he misunderstood by any OF
us fine had faults, they belonged TO his race, not to
MN. NOBODY VINO mas an 'h'''ti! Is i'"'o Pii,0' '
OF his uhdiicrdDle cohSttho! anu Io'u''' ~ " ~ SOW
innumerable proofs.
t,ob oI,i ~ fi,p
lie soon hle" accurately 'Ho h''i'' VI vac 80
and fell In WIN iIen 50 lar As 'le' '''' MS o"H
lie knew VINO rose hf'' III tne MOI Hns' anu "'u' ms
way al the same ho' uy P"7' INC o,u i0o'u' va u.
second h"or 10 the nurseries an" cH"D'' "O'' T. an"
hN"raoy sald S"ou-llorn'- ~ '"'" ''' W "'' "''
separately Nheh lHeS "eIe "'S''" ~ "."' Wv"
with them 10 the oieakiaSllo'' ""'e Ut "'"'S9 S''
on IA particular square OF the PaIlue' ana LOOK MS
morning meal VITA the rest Il AlS nursery continue
slept TOO late they were male 10 Aho" IT, II any 'ouJ
had presumed To hli Ills pa'e peioiv 9"IN was sup
Piled, dont know "hal "ohlu nav "'Il'n'.'' "''"1
ever th0uGht Oh such d iHIHs' nc d'' ""'"''' anu
cleanly ana ms preference III the IuoHHg "'' " '''
That dispatched he walked UP salisor perhaps allowed
himself to be carried TO Tue d'or oi my "'' ''oi'
and waited reasonable Time 10 nc a"'.'.t' '' ga"
remained Tor long unanswered nc '"inu MS way i"lo
the next rooh where ne EeleI"S "'u Di'"A'"'' W., 80
Tie mornings ne spent Win nv III 'H' n'l"''' '''
sorr! to nave 10 say lie ia mar ecu "-''N i'
papers, when he expressed Oy PH'i"S NY zap " INC
became too frequent Then he Dcto'A hnse" 70 tno
rug under ny desk Whefe he often aiea"eo away 'u'
morning andthe AFTERNOON uon see NO" d." '' 90
thro'gh my 'n'rhhT "oIA "'''io'' .i''''
lie khe" q" what noui !" eAi'0' '' '''"'' -
were iat+' ne "en' Ia Sc'ioH io M VI ~ '''V 80 "
MS friends SoIIulc ~ cuilu H'' IoH7 ''''' "''H
awake lie kne" his name ahd MS many P''n'me'' ana
came when he was called ana Er'iu"y uc4"!su SUM
the habits more commonly seen I'D inc INFERIOR race 10
which he bore traditional, or perhaps should say
hereditary enInty lie had, at any rate, al he ntcI-
ligence OF the dog, with none oil his s'i'!' lie "'""
follow his master about the house. but never asked iof
the endearments when he delsAlrd III "h'h oHeieu'
often dlue0 win me- WISH IT hah betN o'In'T-