The state herald., 1890-04-25
a REMARKABLE ANIMAL.
Hs Was Only Dog but He Knew = rhlul
or Two Abouk Human F,llrtAtion.

u
Z A contributor to the prize-dog story
department of the New York Morning
Journal tells this instance Of sagacity
Of n Newfoundland dog:
1.-Two or three years ago friend Of
mine,a very pretty young wife, was tho
happy posscssor OF fine Ncwfound.
land dog called Druid. Tho common
tricks Of fetching, carrying and seek
ing for hidden articles were rs child's
play to the magnificent brute. and II
was not by such every day canine
tricks he had won his name for great
intelligence.
Every now and then he would dis
play such wonderful reasoning power
by the performance OF some act nm.
taught or unsuggcsted by any outside
influence that wonder as well as admira.
tion was excited.
There was ono performance oi
Druids which, unfortunately from the
nature Of 1t. could not be boastcd of by
my friend Mrs. A. accept among her
most intimate lady friends, and the cir
cumstances of which are certainly
without parallel among canine acts OF
intelligence.
Mrs. A., like several other young
married ladies of u romantic turn OF
mind, was carrying on II lively but
harmless Irritation with a young
bachelor in the same city, Halifax, Nova
Scotia.
Unknown TO her husband, she used 10
send and receive letters every day to
the young gentleman in question, and,
as tho post could not he trusted, to pre-.
vent discovery, Druid was pressed into
service.
Every morning he was sent OF to the
house of the young gentleman will, !,
letter safely tucked underneath his
collar. and in the course of an hour or
two he would return with the reply.
The letters were in themselves harm
less, though harm might have been
made out Of them. especially by jeal-
ous husband, which MIR. A. most as.
surcdly was. They consisted of mild
billets doux. making appointments to
meet at the thcatcr or party. and. on
receiving tho reply my friend would
persuade Mr.. A., her husband. to take
her TO the appointed rendezvous.
Druid evidently knew what he was
doing was not quite above board, and
always watched his opportunity 10 let
Mrs. A. take her letter from UNDER
meath his collar when her husband was
not present. In the event OF his pres
cncc, the dog always laid quietly down
at respectful distance until the de.
sired opportunity arrived.
One day when Druid had returned
with his letter he came scdatcly walk
ing across the lawn 10 where Mr.. A.,
his wife and were sitting underneath,
the trees, and noticing that his mistress
was not alone, he sat down and awaited
developments.
After he had been waiting about half
nm hour MIR. A.. who was II sccpiic rs
10 Druid's powers Of reasoning. began
TO tickle his nose aud ears with u straw.
and gradually woke the Newfoundland
from the dozing state into which he
hal fallen. The tickling at last proved
too much for Druid and us hc arose he
gave himself n big shake, just AS il he
had come out Of the water. The shake
was good one in fact too good, and
what was the horror of Mrs. A. TO see
'h' i't'i 'hi ~
10 the ground, fortunately with The ad-
dressed side down.
She was lyiu. in hammock and,
with u terrified look. blushcd rosy
red. which. fortunately for her, Mr.. A..
did not notice as he sprang up TO get
the note.
Quick as he was, Druid, however. was
quicker, rs he snapped ii up OIL the
ground aud calmly chcwed ii mp and
swallowed ii. with look nj his mis-
iress tba, said perfectly plain: Trust
10 me, and it will he all right
Druid, by his prompt action. saved
his mistress all explanation. Us Mr.. A.
could make nothing of the affair, never
for u moment -nspccting that the letter
was for his wife, aud conicnicd himself
by remarking; Il wonder what was in
that letter aud who il was from
My friend, however, got lesson and
cut short her Irritation. but used to say
that II was the first time dog hal
ever saved u woman from possible
divorce action and certain scoldinI
from her husband.