Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-08
THE SENSE OF SMELL.
How a Dog Forms Opinions and Judges
Mans Character.

How a Dog Forms Opinions and Judges
Man's Character.
A mans sense of enjoyment and his
means of comprehension, though in
some ways vastly superior to those OF
the lower animals, are in other direc-
tons immensely inferior. Take, for
instance, the sense Of smelling; a man,
saws q recent writer, may walk formiles
Without once being actually conscious
that he possesses such a sense as smell
beyond the general sensation of being
in a pure and fresh atmosphere. Half
a dozen times, perhaps, in his walk he
wakes up to it. A bean field in bloom,
or q bank of v%iolets, or burning weeds,
or new-mowd hay, or some poisoning
woodbinc, or the walltiowers or migno-
nettc in a cottage garden-somc n or
other of these may arrest his attention
at rare intervals by their fragrance, and
so steal into notice; but the man does
not look for them, and he is quite con
tent to begin and finish his waikiki 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, re-
ceiving impressions from the same sur
roundings and under the same circum.
stances! What a completely different
aspect things have had for him! His
sense of enjoyment has been-like his
notwithstanding to his capacity; but
what different influences have appealed
to him! If, when they reach home, the
dog were able to make known his inn
p%rcssions, and spread them out side by
side with his masters, they would prob.
ably be as opposite as the poles-just 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 centered in, what
| sense it is that cngrosses his attention
most. He has an exceedingly quick eye
and ear, and it would be difficult for
even a mouse of lightcst foot to emerge
from its hole and creep round the old
stump close by and in again without be-
ing detected. The faintest rustic of aleaf
the slightest movement would be suffi-
Gent to betray its presence. Either
through eye or ear, very likely through
| DOtl i'll UllC SAINT lI1SUttilt, UIlC oOS VIII
be made conscious Of the interesting
little circumstance. But, quick as all
his senses are, it is to that of smell,
above all, that the dog trusts. This is
the final arbitaer-the test to which all
difficult problems are subjected, and by
which all doubts are solved. 1t is in a
world of scents that a dog lives and
loves and has his being. What a GU
rious scent this bramble leaf has! and
this spot in the road! and that last net,
tie he passed-how interesting! How
unlike all other nettles he ever met
with! He must return and investigate.
And, doing so, he becomes, for a few
moments, so engrossed that his masters
command can scarcely persuade him to
leave it. And then, as to Judging OF
character, let q reader who possesses s.
dog say whether he knows of any test
that can be for one moment compared
with the test supplied by the bundle O!
nerves that spread themselves out at the
tip of a dogs nose. If a pun may be
that by no other known means can SO
correct diagnosis of a mans character
be obtained. At all events, all will
agree that a dog depends upon it with
out any reserve whatever, and no
amount of flattery will serve to alter
the opinion he has by such means ar
rived at. And who does not remember
how, when Ulysses returned home, af-
ter his many years absence, disguised
as a begggar, neither length of time nor
change of appearance and clothing
served for q 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
Christian Union.