The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-06-14
IN MEMORY or A DOG.


Tho Sublo Animals Burial Place FOndly
Cherished for Five Centuries.
1t is seldom given to dumb brutes to
win eternal remembrance. Many a.
human hero might envy the fame OF
the dog Gelert For generations his
story has stirred the hearts Of plying
childhood wherever the English Ian.
guage is spoken, and his grave has
been visited more frequently and de-
voutly than the shrines Of many holy
martyrs. Indeed, his grave has given
the name to the village within whose
bounds it lies-Bethgelert.
Prince Llewellyn of Wales, so the
story runs, went out for a hunt one
day, but. contrary to habit, Gelert, the
hound, did not accompany him. On
returning home the prince found Gelert
covered with gore and his child's cradle
vacant, Grief for the child and anger
at the dog, which, he supposed, had
murdered the little one, seized upon
him, and in an instant he plunged his
sword into the side of poor Gelert. But
presently came the wall of his baby
from another spot, and at the same
time, lifting the coverlet of the cradle,
the prince discovered the body of a
gaunt wolf. All was now clear, and
great was the despair of the prince at
his impetuous act. lie had murdered
the dog which had saved the life of his
infant. A grave-Bethgelert it was
called in Welsh-was prepared for the
faithful hound, and visitors to the lit.
tie hamlet do their part to preserve the
ancient and well-worn footpath that
leads to it,
One morning | scaled stone wall by
means Of heavy iron clamps and slate
steps, and took the little foot-path to
Gelerts grave. The way led through
a soft meadow, by the river bank, and
beside it grew harebells and foxglove
with their purple land pink flowers,
while delicate ferns and sprinkling
of daisies were scattered about.
Groups of the black cows of this region
quietly browsed in the meadows,
and scarcely raised their noses as |
passed. Occasionally some angler was
seen on the river-bank, patiently hold
ing his line over the water Far down
upon the green sward nearly half Q
mile off, l came to a tiny Enclosure
and within it two old knarled yew
trees had so welded and fattened then
branches together that it was impos
sible to distinguish between them
after their arms quilted the mail
trunk of the tree. Beneath these trees
stood two stone posts but so worn by
time and weather that the hard sur
face of the stone looked as smooth anC
abraded as worm-eaten wood. NJ
words or epitaph marked the spot, bu
for five hundred years the tradition tina
this was the grave of Gelert has beer
handed down from sire to son.
A cluster of old buildings, pict
uresque in their ruins, had constituted
an ancient Augustine monastery.
One side of the monastery walls is
building which is believed to be tn
old palace of Prince Llewellyn, an,
fancy, cropping its way back into tn
twilight of history, fills out the pic
ture of the rude life of that earl,
period, when prince could live in s.
poor an abode. The house is so tin,
that it scarcely affords space for
J family of three, who devote one room
to little bookstore and photograph
shop. This shop formed the literar
emporium of the village, and thoupl
; not more than dozen feet square an
seven feet high, it was an attractiv
spot. Above its low doorway, on
level with the river bank, was pictur
of Prince Llewellyn and his dog Gelert
while an inscription stated that thi
had been his palace. Susan Nichola
J Carter, in Century.