The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-09-28
Animal Stories.
by Mrs. Grace {. D. Favre, Formerly
Miss Grace c. Denslow.
MY DOGS.

Animals, especially dogs, have played
fancy. ''''ee Ill
}. when was year old my little sister
ole1 OF scarlet fever, and by her wish I
niherited her dearest possession, her
my Diack-and- tan named puffy" He
was still in his puppyhood.
l wen remember, when was only six.
vigorously scrawling in childish print an
urgent appeal to my father "for money
to buy Puffy new collar and to
put IN the plate on Sunday" 1t has al
ways amused me to think that even then
my first thought was for the dog.
When l was quite young nv father
placed me in the country and bought for
my especial use pure-bred white cow
called Mooley. WV
MooIey, Puffy, and were still together
when was seven years old, for one of
my delights in summer time was to oct
down on my hands and feet in the pas.
ture, close to Mooley, and eat grass a.
she did!
My next recollection is of "Shep. F." the
Scotch collie, whom fear, in the heed
less ignorance of childhood, l rather
martyrlsed. l used to make him lie
down while piled dirt and gravel on his
upPeiiuoSU Siuos aiiu IueH urdRglng him
along the ground by his tail made be-
lieve he was a dump-cart.
Poor old Shep! What angelic patience
was his! All his hair was worn off on
one side before my elders saw to it that
good dog Shep had his rights, too.
1t is wonderful, really, what animals
will endure, without protest, from chill
dren.
When l was twelve l made the jolly
acquaintance of the "Elmhurst" dogs.
Doctor and Leo.
Doctor was part spaniel with a posi-
tive alteration for the water, and root
ed aversion to prayers.
His master was what was called in
Connecticut, in those days, Methodist
'circuit-rider. He had the care of
many parishes widely disseminated.
Doctor invariably accompanied his
master on these carriage trips, which
sometimes lasted for several weeks at a
time.
Whenever he saw the Bible opened he
would sneak under table, never STIR
ring until the final "Amen" was said.
At home he would seek the upper
rooms and only appear when the scrap
ing of chairs announced that family
prayers were we'll over.
We never knew what he thought on
such occasions.
Leo was the huge Newfoundland who
churned the butter on the pig farm,
three times a week, by means of a tread
mill apparatus. He loved this work and
would bark joyfully when harnessed. 1t
was pretty to see him working steadily
and cheerfully until the butter came He
had many other duties. such as bringing
up the cows, guarding the hens, carry
ing the eggbasket, and doing errands in
New Canaan, whence he always brought
home the post bag.
Woe betide anyone, human or canine,
who dared modest him on the return trip.
He had a penetrating sense of the re-
sponsibility placed upon him, and in his
powerful jaws efficient means of en-
forcing respect.
He was invaluable, and, am happy to
say, was always treated as he deserved,
and when he died at the age of sixteen
was much regretted and mourned.
When he was about ten years old we
gave him Beppo to train, then puppy
nine weeks old.
He did his work thoroughly and the
two, of the same race, were always
good friends.
Beppo had long and useful life also,
dying peacefully when little over fif- |
teen. His story has already been told. |
In 1912, in The Animals Friend. |
Napoleon was an irresponsible fox !
terrier puppy, with an inquisitive mind
and a mischlevous bent. He chewed
yards of string and ate so much that we
feared he would burst. We all enjoyed
his merry antics. After few months
be was given to lady, who had sore
need of him, for hers had been a sad
and lonely existence which funny little
Napoleon enlivened, cheered, and salts.
fed
When we first went down to Maine,
U. S. A., our poet-friend gave US two
Irish setter pups, brother
and sister, few weeks old.
We named them "Loris,' after the
hero of popular play in New York; and
"Graville, in compliment to favourite
nun, at the Convent, In Montreal, where
| was being educated.
We had an uproarious summer owing |
to the pranks of these two little rascals: |
and we were always wondering what on i
earth they would do next.
Loris was most affectionate and would !
stand pleadingly with his sleek dark head !
laid on ones knee seeking caresses. He !,
was gun-shy, however, and could never
be trained to hunt This gave me secret |
for always hated to have
the graceful deer shot in our Maine
woods.
GRANVILLE, on the other hand, was just
a bit too strenuous" and many bill
we had to pay to irate neighbouring
farmers for stray ducks, turkeys, and
even vagrant chickens killed wantonly
by "that red dog of D's! We finally
had to give GRANVILLE back to her former
mistress, who found her pleasant home
elsewhere.
''Toots'' and Hearts Delight" must
finish this joyous chapter Of my Dogs"
my own dear dogs!
Toots, with her wonderful sagacity,
her human ways and thoughts, and alas,
her too tragic ending, is endeared to US
as long as life lasts-and beyond.
Sweet "Heart's Delight, - ''our little
bit O. love-" now in her fourteenth year,
has never given US moments sorrow
since she came into our possession, so
long ago, in Paris; and great is our ap-
probation of her beautiful, atfectonate,
discerning little personality.
True, loving, faithful, gentle and de-
voted friends, my dogs, one and all! They
are worthy of grateful remembrance
and the hope, openly expressed, of see
ing them again in another world.
AS Tennyson says: