The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-13
THE LAST ST. BERNARD.

oAs
"Ah. he was noble animal. haf
not seen his like again, and the speaker
sighed as he pulled out great cloud Of
smoke from long-stcmmed pipc.
II was DIR. Hans Frolich, recently
arrived German phys clan, who made
this remark. He was seated in his
Office on jefferson, near Second street.
and between the intervals Of long inha-
la,ions from mecrschaum with that
rich brown coloring so dear 10 the
hearts Of genuine smokers, he was talk
ing to n reporter. A pleasant-iaccd
looking student was this German phy-
sician. with rosy countcnance that was
Just now tinged with deep shade Of
regret. He was speaking of the bench
show which was then going on ut the
Exposition. and the conversation drifted
naturally to the 81. Bernard kennel, the
noble animals in which attracted so
much and such favorable attention.
This was subject which touched the
doctors sensibilit'eS, and at once he
became deeply interested. He spoke
English. but with such hcsitancy as
made his meaning very difficult Of COM
prchcnsion. and finally had to be
assisted by an interpreter. The story
which follows Is an Interesting one.
made more So by its occurring under his
personal observation. and il is in his own
words:
.Thosc dogs at the Exposition. said
ne. "arc fine animals, but they are not
true ~. Bcrnards. They are only
crosses. rs the pure breed became cx-
tinct forty years ago in the death o; the
last and noblcst specimen of his race.
Barry was his name, and knew him
well in my b,yish DAYS. He was only n
dog. but he had the brains OF man.
and more than his heart. He was old
when he died. but he was as full of hon
ors rs of years. and he met his death at
the hands of fool Englishman after he
had saved nine.and-iorty lives.
''Barry was the property of monas-
terry ON Mont Blanc. The brotherhood
was more than ordinarily pious one.
and the old monks loved the dog almost
as well rs IL he had been one If their
own number. Well they might, for his
like had never been seen before. as ii
was never TO be again. He had been
brought up by them from the time he
was whimpcring puppy up to the days
of his useful. middle aged doghood.
The kennel that sheltered him first was
the one where all his DAYS were passed.
He grew up among the monks and
their fat Abbot. and took his food from
their hands fondly and gratefully.
Ellis life was not an idle one. For
merly the monastery hal owned some
thing over dozen Of the pure breed.
but death from age and accident cut
them down one by one til Barry was
left the sole survivor and very king
of his race. Not but that there were
many others. but they were partly
sprung from mongrel stock, and were
larger and heavier. though useful ami
mails enough. This particular dog of
which l am speaking needed nothing
more than the rudimcnts of training.
Ii seemed as II the wonderful instinct
of his ancestors had all passed into that
shaggy head of his. and all their fidelity
into his heart. Many time have
heard the good old monks dwell on his
virtues. When he was only n year old
he had distinguished himself by saving
the life of a young child which had
been overwhelmed in the drifts, spared
from the fate which carried its mother
TO the depths of the abyss on whose
edge the babe was lodged. His race
was always celebrated for their
strength and endurance, but his was
something extraordinary. Many time
nc made his way back to the hospital
monks carrying some berpmbed tray
eler on his back, with whom he had
struggled all the toilsome day over the
snow w-drifts. Not one, but many such
were his performances, and II ever
brute deserved canonization he did. for
be met with a martyrs death.
"Forty years ago he died. The win
ter had been one of the coolest and Sc
yerest ever known in Switzerland and
many guest had reason to be thankful
for the accommodations of the old mon
astcry and It's fat Abbot. Barry was
getting old then, but he was hale and
hearty as ever. One morning, after n
violent night, during which two ava
lanches had fallen and buried the mar
row road that climbed the sides OF the
mountain, he was sent out to see II. per-
chance. he might, as he had done nine
and-forty times before. rescue some
buried traveller from the drifts. A roll
of warm blankets was strapped on his
back. his barbed collar was put on his
neck. n hunters flask Of liquor was at
tached. and the good monks sent him
out with their prayers and blessings.
He never came back alive.
About mile FROM the monastery
he came to q freshly fallen avalanche in
the narrow rosd That unerring in
stinct Of his taught poor Barry that
some traveller lay under the soft. white
snow, and be set to work to find him.
BE was right, for on the night before
one Of those travelling fools OF English
men who think every other country
better than their own had tried 10 pass,
and had been overwhelmed with his
guides. With that marvellous scent
which his years OF experience
had trained 50 perfectly Barry