Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-07
Recenqe1its -4ni,nais.
Chambers Journal. !

Chambers Journal
While ii must be conceded that ami
mails possess most of mans good
qualities, it cannot be denied
that they share many of his faults. Ami
mails cherish ideas of revenge with almost
human tenacity, and appear to believe
thoroughly in the proverb that declares it
to be sweet. There have been occasions
when this long cherished desire for re-
venge has been gratifed in a serious man
ner. The Rev. John Selby Watson, in his
highly suggestive work on the Reason
ing Power in Animals" alludes
to the following tragic occur
renee that happened at ST. Cloud, in the
neighborhood of Paris. A large New
foundland dog was kept tied up during the
hot weather, and every morning a servant
maid, as she passed, thinking to do it
kindness, threw quantity of water over
the animal. The dog appeared to consider
the daily deluge as an insult, but, be-
ing tied up, it was unable to manifest its
resentment. One day, however the brute
was released, and no sooner did the unfor-
tunate servant present herself than it
sprang at her with intense ferocity, and, be-
fore she could be rescued, killed her.
1t has alreaey been seen that dogs will
try to avenge themselves upon human be-
ings as we'll as upon animals; while the
instances on record where they have in
ficted punishment upon other dogs are
very numerous. In his Encyclopedia of
Rural Sports" Blaine furnishes the fol-
lowing anecdote: 81 had in my Kitchen
says certain duke, ''two turnspits, one of
To- Iu O&h do fpfO
the wheel. One of them, however, not lik-
ing his employment, hid himself on the
day on which he should have worked, so
that his companion was ordered to
enter the wheel in his stead. But the dog
hung back, crying and wagging his tail,
and making signs for those present to fol-
low him. Being curious to see what he
would do, they put themselves under his
guidance, when he lead them straight to a
garnet where the idle dog was hid, and i'm
mediately fell upon him and killed him on
the spot" In this case it can hardly be
considered that the dog was prudent in the
revenge he took-although, for the matter
of that, human beings rarely areas he
probably had, for time, at least. to take
the place at the wheel of his
companion. In a somewhat similar anec-
ed with more forethought. On one occa-
sion-so goes the story-when the cook at
the Jesuits' college at La Fleche required
the spit turned, the dog that should have
been on duty was nowhere to be found,
and when the man would have employed
another, it bit at him and ran away. In
little while, however, this latter animal re-
appeared, driving before him the one that
would have evaded his duty, which he
forced to enter the wheel and 60
on with his work. Anecdotes of
the dignifed and magnanimous way in
which large dogs avenge themselves form
suits upon smaller members of their
species are exceedingly numerous, and
generally too well known for citation
here. DR.. Hancock, in his Essay on In
stinct," alluding to one of these instances,
in which a Newfoundland dog dropped a
troublesome cur into the quay at Cork,
and then, when it was struggling for life,
plunged in and saved it, remarks that
lit would be difficult to conceive any
punishment more aptly contrived or more
completely in character; adding. that if
IL were fully analysed, an ample COM
mentary might be written in order 10 show
what variety of comparisons, and mo-
tlves, and generous feeling entered into
the composition of this act" A very in
teresting instance of the sagacity with
which these Newfoundland dogs act, and the
way in which they retain their resentment,
is afforded by Mr.. Watson. He tells how
gentleman on arriving at his
country house, in the neighbor-
hood of London, discovered that
he had brought with him key that would
be needed during his absence. He had
with him a Newfoundland dog that was
accustomed to carry things, and to it he
intrusted the key. On its way to the town
with the key the poor creature was at
tackled by butchers dog, but attempted
no resistance, and only used its powers to
get off with its charge. 1t delivered the
key safely; and then on its way home
stopped deliberately before the butchers
shop until the dog again came forth, when
he attacked it furiously, and did not leave
off until he had killed it.