El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-11

BOBBY WATCHED AND WAITED
and watch the place where all he cared
for in the world was laid If you could
see that damp, cold. narrow little spot
where Bobby made his house and home
for all the rest of his loving little life,
your heart would ache to think that
the life of even a dumb beast could be
so dreary.
Through the long, cold days and the
colder nights he kept his vigil. waiting,
watching always for one that never
came and whose voice he was never
more to hear. From the back windows
of the houses in Candlemaker row,
which are quite near to the grave, the
people could see the homeless and
friendless little dog keeping his lonely
watch, and many bit of bread and
meat was thrown to him to eat
But people do not always think of
hungry dogs outside, and Bobby might
have Jared badly sometimes if he had
not had other friends. On High street,
not far from Greyfriars churchyard,
was restaurant kept by a kind heart
ed woman. Bobby formed a habit of
going to her every day, and he was
never refused a meal. She may have
been a friend of his dead masters, or
she may have known Bobby himself
before his masters death, otherwise
he would not have been likely to go so
far. However that may be, Bobby's
visits were quite regular and punctuaL
They have q custom in Edinburgh of
firing a gun at 1 o'clock from the cas-
tie, which is quite near the cemetery.
That was Bobby's dinner signal, and
every day at the 1 o'clock gun fire he
deliberately got up and set out for his
daily meal No doubt he had discover
ed that the workmen in the neighbor-
hood were about finishing their midday
dinner when the gun fired, and that
may have been the origin of his prac-
tice, for they always made him well
come, and it was not only the leavings
Of their dinners that fell to Bobby. In
deed, he seems to have been a general
favorite, but nobody could ever induce
him to stay long away from his mas
ter'S grave.
There he lay, day in and day out,
sometimes in sunshine, but oftener in
gloom, for where does it rain as often
as in Scotland? Sleeping through the
long, cold winter on the cold, wet
ground, with n cold stone above him
for his only shelter, there Bobby was
always to be found. For II years the
patient creature watched and waited,
and at last-may we not hope ?-he
found his master. One morning Bobby
was seen lying dead on the long loved
masters grave.
A few years ago Baroness Burdett-
Coutts, when on a visit to Edinburgh,
heard the touching story Of Greyfriars'
Bobby and thought it a pity that SO
remarkable an instance Of animal fidel-
ity should be forgotten. So, to perpet-
uate his memory, she erected a drink
Ing fountain. 1t stands on the street
opposite to the iron gates through
which one passes to enter the grave
yard. On the top is the figure Of lit
tie dog, and below is the following in
scription:
"Greyfriars' Bobby, from the life,
just before his death. A tribute to the
affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars'
Bobby. In 1858 this faithful dog fol-
lowed the remains of his master to
Greyfriars' churchyard and fingered
near the spot until his death in 1872
Erected by the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts, 1S72."-Our Animal Friends