Morning journal and courier., 1892-01-21

cannot help saying that am sorry for
this. But let this pass. Lassie's princi-
Piles were the same. If offered bit of
biscuit with the assurance that Mr.. Glad
stone sent it, or Mr.. Bright, or many an
other of less note, she would instantly
names, and she kept her head turned
away, refusing to even look at the tempt
ing morsel that came from such detesta-
BILE quarter. Directly, however, the name
of known Liberal was breathed ever SO
softly, she turned quickly round to the ex-
tended fingers and took the gift. Some
interviewers thought that the right man
was understood to be the sender of the
tid-bit, after 30 many wrong ones had been
named. But it was not 80. The allowed
contributors names were known and re-
membered, and whether one of them came
first or last, or in the middle of the list of
favorite politicians, she took what was
sent by him as soon as she heard of his
generosity. If very hungry, or if the
dainty was very tempting occasionally-I
believe very occasionally-she made q mis-
take (by purposeful accidentD, but she did
SO slowly and with clear reluctance, and
showed an unprompted sense of after
shame that was ludicrous to behold.
If asked her color, whether green or
blue, or white, etc., or, as it WAS, black
and tan, she gave a loud bank when the
right sort was named. Strange to say,
this was the only trick that she disliked,
and she could only be got to repeat it af-
tor some hours, never twice in close sue
cession. She usually walked off In some
thing like q sulk directly she had barked
at the word indicating the correct color of
her beautiful coat. Another trick was
this: Whatever posture she was in, even
if gambolling, she became rigid, as if pet
rifed, by sight of Medusa's head, il
photograph" were called out, and thus
she remained, sometimes for several min
utes, until permission to move was given
by the word 'taken."
Her owner once gave my parishioners
what may call an entertainment in the
school-room with Lassie. And very in
teresting, amusing and clever it was She
went through the crowd of lookers-on to
shut the door at the word of command.
A barrel-a nine-gallon one. scarcely large
enough for her to crawl through, one
would have thought-had the ends knocked
out, and on holding it up and telling Las
sic to jump, she went right through it for
wards and backwards several times; In
fact, as often as she was told to do so
But the piece de resistance Was the per-
formance of the deeds for which Old Moth
Ell Hubbard's dog obtained Just celebrity.
She stood "expectant by" grinning con-
sumedly, it seemed, while the exhibitor
pretended to search the cupboard for the
desired bone. She hung her head and
stood with dropping tail when it was dis
covered that "the cupboard was bare"
She was found smoking pipe on the re-
turn of her mistress with the tripe, dead
when she came with the bread, laughing
when the coffin WAS brought, and all this
was calmly done on the platform in view
of large assemblage of people who could
nj
which ought most certainly to have dis
composed the animal, one would have
thought, preventing her from going
through the performance properly. But
there was not single hitch, and / think
the exhibition was the most wonderful
thing of the kind that ever saw or even
heard of. Ny space is limited, or I could
extend this account of Lassie's clever
deeds.
1 am sorry to say that she left no pro-
geny that might have inherited her traits |
and wonderful qualities. She never had |
pup. AlasI this must now run into an |
obituary notice. A few months ago this |
wise and gentle, and loving, collie breathed |
her last after short, sharp illness Eve
rything was done that could be thought of !
to stave off the fate that drew nearer and
nearer every hour. She was nursed night |
and day, not by hired hands, but by those
she loved and who loved her, as she well
knew. And her sense of their tender care
was most touching, but trying indeed to
the anxious watchers. In her utmost
prostrstion she would try ever and anon
by an impossible effort to present her paw,
or by weak wag of her tail, or by an en-
deavor to lick the tending hand, or at last
and to the last by sad, sad, earnest look
from her eloquent eyes, to assure us of her
affection even in death. II seemed as il
poor Lsssie's concern for her mistress
more especially was greater than her con-
Germ for herself. Love triumphed over
suffering, and she may be said to have died |
apologizing for her state and her need.