The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-26

lecUOnS of Bruno Il very large New
foundland dog, belonging to our family.
1t is now over thirty-five years ago,
since Bruno closed his wonderful career,
and many things connected with hlm
have escaped my recollection. His edu-
cation was obtained only through romps
and plays with the children, until he
reached the mature age of dOghOod, when
he took serious consideration of things
and began to develop a wonderful store
of knowledge and smartness The first
clever thing | discovered in him beyond
the ordinary tricks of fetch, carry ana
find lost things, was that he knew my
fathers hogs from those OF the neigh
bors. and at feeding time, would drive
every stranger from the enclosure, never
making a mistake in identity Bruno
usually attended me on my hunting ex
petitions and made himself useful in
retrieving the fallen game, and often at
my command. would take n brace OF
birds to my mother III time for her dim
ner and join me again in the field with
n lunch for us both.
He became a fair bird setter and a
great ''possum dog and would often
go on a hunt alone. Hearing him bark
ing in the cormfield one night, | took
torch and found him with Il large
opossum held down with his paws I'M
hurt. and he was evidently calling some
one to get the game. These are but
samples of the dogs smartness. He
was greatly attached to me, and seemed
to be at all times on the lookout for my
safety. On one occasion a colored boy.
in sport seized me as if for Il tussIe,
when the dog instantly sprang at his
throat and bore him to the ground, but
my prompt rebuke saved him from
harm In 1862, about the time Bruno
was fully grown, / left home for school
and did not return for nearly two
years. My home was i'll the extreme
East of North Carolina, and nominally
within the Federal lines. My father was
in the army and mother was on a visit
to him in Wilmington, leaving no one
at home except my brother and sister.
younger than myself, under the care of
our old h0usekeeper. AT this juncture,
/ went home on visit | had marched
over seventy-fve miles through the
Federal lines and was much travel
stained, in fact looked very much like
an old Confederate. | had on my old
cadet uniform. | had in my absence
changed much in size and appearance,
and it occurred 10 me to try if those at
home would recognize me. i knocked
at the old home door, when old Miss
Mary , the housekeeper, who had
nursed me in infancy. came to the door,
/ asked if a tired Confederate soldier
could got mOrsel of food there. She
invited me in, apologizing that | would
have to wait until she could prepare me
a meal. She took me in the cook room
while she busted herself preparing the
food meanwhile she gave me full
history of the family, and was specially
nice in her references to myself, whom
she styled as her boy, expressing her
anxiety to see me. since | had been so
long from home. Ny sister was present
paying close attention to me and to
what was being said. Thus we con
versed for half an hour or more, with
out either of them recognizing me, when
old Bruno entered the room from door
opposite me; he paused and fixed his
eyes upon me, giving a searching eXaml-
nation; it was but the work of an in
slant; he raised his lips as if smiling
began to wag his tail and at once came
TO me and fondly laid his head upon
my knee, clearly showing that two years,
absence had not blotted me from his
memory. My sister at once took the
gentle hint. burst into tears and rushed
to my embrace, but her tears of joy
soon turned to sadness because Bruno
recognized me first.
Shortly after this my father fell
in battle. Nothing could console my
mother during the ten long years
she survived him-Bruno took in the
tyntiaY, aul caa,paJ m rnaliza that
she needed a companion and protector,
and at once undertook the sacred trust
and for the remainder of the war fol-
lowed her closely everywhere she went,
and in those troublesome times, was
worth more to her than file of soldiers.
On one occasion a Federal lieutenant,
being drunk attempted to enter mothers
house against her protest. he rudely
pushed her aside and rushed in and was
instantly thrown to the floor Bruno
was on guard and the very moment my
mother was assaulted he seized the
drunken officer by the throat and
brought him down, and but for the
timely interference of my mother, the
results might have been serious. 1t acted
quicker than the Keely Cure on the
| lieutenant, who arose from the floor so
| DNIt Dul With piston realty LO STAY Tie
| faithful brute; on second thought, how
ever his better nature commended the
| dogs conduct and apologizing for his
rudeness, he left the house better man,
| / trust.
| The reader will remember I told that
| Bruno in his younger days could dis
| tinguish between family and stranger
| hogs, so in the sterner times of war he
| knew the difference between a Federal
| and n Confederate soldier. a great many
| Southern soldiers on furlOugh, from time
to time, passed through my mothers
premises. and Bruno was always on hand
day or night, to welcome and would 81
| lently guard them safely through to the
| public road beyond, but never through
/ the whole war did a Federal soldier en-
| ter the yard without Bruno's giving
| timely warning. Perhaps this may hn
| accounted for from the fact that the
| Confederates were always on peaceable
visits to their families, while often
stra ggling Federal soldiers came to pillage
and plumber and Bruno knew they had
carried off every pig, chicken and duck,
| leaving himself, as well as the others of
the family, reduced to hard fare and no
| doubt he was mad about it, and charged
the offence to the whole Federal army