Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-24

fellow who hadn't any dogs with MN was Try
ing to tell the other man something important
YES" he was saying, al saw her every day
while was away, and now I have something
very important I want to talk to you about
You know Pm"
"Fido. here, come I'M Flora, Floral! The
dogs were straying and trying to get under
horse car. The man who had something 10
say began over again.
''Well. as 1 was saying. you know she's
perfect beauty, and I'm going To
Jack, Jack! by Jove! that dog will get run
over come in here, you rascal"
Il say, am thinking seriously Of"
Flora, jack Come ont Of that, ! say.
Now. como in here and heel"
well. old man, if you'll just promise to help
me out I'LL"
'.Fidol D that dog; he won't mindl 1
beg your pardon. Go on"
Now. you will promise not TO tell, but I
am"
Hi. there. you dogs, drop that cat!' and the
subject is dropped while the dogs are taken
away from the cat they are worrying.
Now, this is merely very good sample of the
kind of conversation that is carried on when
You 60 to walk with a man who carries his dogs
with him. The dogs or the conversation must
be given up, and the consequence Is that the
conversation usually ''goes to the dogs" as it
were. When manstakes his dogs out walking
he ought to carry whip and go IN unfrequented
parts of the city and be as free from interrupt
ton possible. He will lose his temper. he will
whip his dogs, he will probably swear, and he
will solemnly declare that he never will take
those dogs out again. But the next day when
the dogs come fawnlng around him. and beg
ging to be taken ont, ne will. If he is a good
natured man, relent and give them a run. And
this will go on for years. 1t is all very well to
call the owner of dog his master. but often it
is the dog that is the real master and compels
the man to do his bidding. He Is like the Vir-
ginia colonel before the war. who thought he
owned his negro valet, but the valet knew he
owned the colonel
Now, the t~uth OF the matter is that while
there are n good many hunting dogs in the
world, and watchdogs too, nevertheless the
majority of dogs are merely pets. man may
say he disiikes pet dogs. but if you ask him
why he keeps dog he will be puzzled to
answer, and II you investigate, you will find
that he never puts the dog to any use except
pet;ing. lie likes to have an animal about that
is always glad to see him and that he can be as
ill-uatured to as he chooses.
CANINE HYPOCRISY.
A close student of the ways of dogs remarked
to the writer not long ago that dogs are the
greatest hypocrites in the world. For instance.
he said. my dog will go up to a member OF the
family and fawn on him and lick his hand and
make out that he loves him dearly; then, Eay-
ing won HIM over. he will suggest in some I'M
| mistakable manner the feasibility OF stroll
down the street. Eavipy accomplished his
purpose. he will, when he comes home. show
devotion to some other msmber of the family
with a view to IA second walk or something to
eat. The truth is. a clever dog living in fam
lily that is fond of dogs has it tematized
Such one. for instance. he shows affection Tor
| i'll the morning because he or shc gives him his
| breakfast; another he worships after breakfast
| because this Is the one who takes him shop
/ ping, an amusement that he dearly loves be-
| cause It gives him such q fine chance for doing
/ mischief and getting into trouble: another one
/ he endeavors to concllate because he some
/ times gets whipped by him, and it is clearly to
his interest to keep him in good humor so that
be will escape punishment for the countless
sins he commits. As for reforming and behav-
ing himself. lie has no intention o. doing that.
| the children of the family he treats with an
| easy air of patronage. II he wants to play
with them he knows they are ready. If they
want to play with him he does it or not just
/ be chooses. lie is not on earth to please them.
but they to please him. In point OF fac. it
may be said of him, as it was OF great but
| selfish statesman. that he always considers the
/ whole world with reference to himself.
| The trouble Is that hypocritical dog over
reaches himself sometimes and gives him
self away" Thus. when he steals into the
! pantry and helps himself to a chop that right
/ fully belongs to some other member OF the
} family he comes to his master, after he has
eaten and thoroughly enjoyed his stolen meal.
and IL so unusually afectionate and obedient,
and charming. that anybody can tell that dog
! has committed some grievous. sin and is try
ing to deceive you into the belief tn It he never.
never stole bone in all his hfe, that he scorns
| the imputation, that lie is no thief, although
he broadly hints that there dogs i'll the
! nelghDorhood who would steal the cold meat
| of blind beggar. But soon you call the
dog into the pantry, the scene of his dcprcda-
tons, he throws up his case and hides, thereby
admitting his guilr. When you haul him on:
| from his concea lment and whip him the agony
of mind he suffers is terrible to see. but III five
| minutes he will be happy again anu il a chop
| Is thrown III his way the next day, and there ID
nobody around, depend upon 1t he will risk
taking it. for he believes in himself and thinks
he can manage things this time SO well that he
| Will not get caught
| Oh. yes dogs are clever rascals. Was there
ever a kind. gentle, good-hearted man whose
| dogs loved him much do the dogs OF some
worthless, cruel fellow? They have way of
| discovering virtues in men that nobody else
cares about. and finely bred dogs apt to
contract intimacIes with the meanest, most
plebeian ours they can find. Other dogs they
| will quarrel and light with.
| READING CANINE CHARACTER.
| Yon may talk about the difficulty of reading
human nature, but where is the man who can
truly read dog nature? 1t is easy to tell a
good-natured dog frp one that is cross, if
you only know how, Dat how many people are
there that do know howl As general thing
| dogs that honest, good fellows have eyes
people. but, at the same time, weazen-faced
| little dog with foxy whiskers and a pointed
nose often has a merry. good-natured. twink
ling little eye that au expert knows as showing
good nature, although mischief. Then there
Is the fox terrier with eye that sparkies
light. but look at him closely and you may
detect fierce, domineering spirit in it. You
must look out for dog OF that kind. Unless
You master him and show n spirit superior TO
his he may do you an injury. As for the faces
of most bulldogs, they are insolent and surly-
the physiosnOmy of the. bully and coward
| ut it is never thoroughly safe, even II you
have been student of dog physiognomy, to
trust too much to appearances, for they are
misleading. and dog may assume an express
sion for his own selfish purposes which
thoroughly conceals his real character.
There is character in dogs tails, too-in fact.
nearly as much as there Is in their heads. A
very curly tail, like pigs, means that the
dog is not or the finest nature. Either 1t be-
longs to a cur or one Of the stupid breeds, but
the curly tali is generally an index to good
nature. A crescent-shaped tail Is different
thing. II it is very tapering it means pluck
and intelligence and is usually sign to show
that you had better be introduced before you
take liberties with its owner. II it is thick and
carried down it means iuferiority. and either a
mean dog or one that has lost all self-respect
from bad treatment A dog, by the way, thinks
his life has been failure unless he has fine
quarters, plenty to eat and nothing to do. They
have great heads" as the saying il.
REMARKABLE STORY.
Nohody aver talk a about DOGS uithouf IA I.