Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-17
A Mans and a Dogs sense Of Small

HlIDOUt once
being actually conscious that he possesses
such a sense as smell beyond the General
sensation of being in a pure and fresh at.
mosphere. Half dozen times perhaps III
his walk he wakes up to it. A beanfield
| in bloom or bank of violets, or burning
weeds, or new mown hay, or some blossom
ing woodbine, or the wall flowers, OF. mig
nOnette in cottage garden, some one OF
other of these may arrest his attention n,
rare intervals by their fragrance and SO
steal into notice; but the man does not
look for them, and ne is quite content 10
begin and finish his walk, if it so happen,
without any of them. How different with
the dog who has set out with him, and has
been enjoying his walk side by side with
his master, receiving impressions from the
same surroundings and under the same
circumstances What a completely differ
ent aspect things have had for him! His
sense of enjoyment has been like his mas
ter's-according 10 his capacity; but what
different influences have appealed to him
If, when they reach home, the dog were
able to make known his impressions. and
spread them out side by side with his mas
ter's, they would probably be as opposite
as the poles-iust as unlike as if they had
been received, these on this earth, and the
others among the mountains of the moon.
Watch the dog for an instant and see what
his interest is conferred in, what sense it is
that engrosses his attention most He has
an exceedingly quick eye and ear, and it
would be difficult for even mouse of light
est foot to emerge from its hole and creep
round the old stump close by and in again
without being detected. The faintest rustic
OF leaf, the-slightest movement, would be
sufficient to betray its presence Either
through eye or ear-Yery likely through
both at the same instant-the dog will be
made conscious OF the interesting little cir
cumstance. But quick as all his senses
are, it is to that of smell, above all, that the
dog trusts. This is the final arbiter-the
test to which all difficult problems are sub
lected, and by which all doubts are solved.
1t IS IN world of scents that dog lives
and moves and has his being What Gu
rlous scent this bramble leaf has and this
spot in the road and that last nettle he
passed-how interesting! How unlike all
other nettles he ever met with He must
return and investigated And, doing so, he
becomes, for few moments, SO engrossed
that even his masters command can scarce
ly persuade him to leave it. And then. as
TO judging Of character, let reader who
possesses a dog say whether he knows of
any test that can be for one moment com
pared with the test supplied by the bundle
OF nerves that spread themselves cut at the
tip of dogs nose. If pun may be par
doned, would express my belief that by
no other known means can so correct q
diagnosis of q mans character be obtained
At all events, all will agree that dog de-
ponds upon it without any reserve what
ever, and no amount of hattery will serve
to alter the opinion he has by such means
arrived at. And who does not remember
how, when Ulysses returned home after his
many years absence disguised as a beggar
neither length of time nor change Of ap-
pearance and clothing served for a moment
TO deceive his faithful hound. While every
other member of the household was regard
ing him as a stranger his dog came up and
instantly discovered his identity THE
Gentleman's Magazine