The New York herald., 1922-10-15
Is UPPER HAMILTON TERRACE, N. W..

Snem Tor my unnatural neglect OF you
both. Intercede for me with my noble
enemy and nobler animal
How good in you to be so patient with
the founuling. Thoughtful and consid-
crate as your suggestions are, l still
think 1 must cling to Shem, my first
love, though 1 have never seen him and
he might aggressively cling to me on
our first meeting. Better is the ado
lescent Shem than a puppy in future;
better a living dog than one in utero.
Besides, the Jungfrau may, like other
mountains, be delivered of a mouse.
-. L could not keep him in
lodgings in Glasgow without armor-
plating the furniture and enlarging the
doors, but some kind friends with whom
stay when in London are most anxious to
keep him for me. They have a goodish-
sized house here in st. Johns Wood and
nine (9!) playful children who are ready
to worship him. You may say to Shem
that they are a genteel and even a titled
family; 1 would not introduce him to
other or cast the slightest shadow on
his brilliant London future.
Now. seriously, how could | get him
hereby express to the address. or by
parcel delivery or freight? Nothing should
l like better than to bring him myself,
but have already outstayed my leave"
and must return to Glasgow in a few
days. 1 expect to come to London again
to spend the Christmas holidays. Could
L take you en- route?
With best regards TO Mrs. Pemberton
and shake of Shems paw-always
His and your friend,
BRET HARTE.
At this point in the correspondence an
other friend of ours cast longing eyes on
Shem and offered him a good and i'm
mediate home; and Ham, grown to vast
proportions, began to dominate over Shem
and make his life a burden. A crisis
seemed at hand. The matter was laid
frankly before Bret Harte, and he wrote
GLASGOW, February 7th, 1888.
MY DEAR PEMBERToN:
/ am heartbrokeni What shall | say?
What do you say? What, alas, will
Shem say? Will he not be glad to get
rid of such an unnatural master?
Perhaps it is for the best that he
should abandon me. never should have
dared to look him in the face. AS it is 1
never have met a dog in the streets but
I have been bathed in bushes. When
e'er / take my walks abroad trembe to
meet him and have him openly denounce
and expose me to other dogs as a dis
grace to my kind. l never hear a ring
at the door bell without expecting the
servant to enter and say: Please. sir,
'ere's big dog stink and howlink on
the doorstep with Mr.. Pemberton's COM
pliments. and what you're a-goin' to do
about it?"
And yet / have been base enough, to
be proud of him, to boast of him and
magnify his proportions If the CONVEX
sation turned on big dogs 1 always said:
"Ah, but you should see ntine!" When
pressed to exhibit this abnormal growth
1 meel<ly said: HE is staying with one
of my most intimate friends, to whom
he is deeply attached" And then the
silent wings of disbelief would gradually
enfold that company, and 1 would disap-
pear.
Seriously, my dear fellow, / am such a
homeless vagabond and wanderer myself
that unless Shem actually did the ST
Bernard Hospice business for me and
carried me about with him-and a flask
i don't see what / could do with him
just now. 1 couldn't carry him about.
nor would he be content to live in the
corridor of my hotel at Glasgow My
fond hope was to place him with some of
my suburban friends and visit him two
or three times a week, but that is past
and l fear he is getting too old now to
attach himself to me after that "occa-
sionaP fashion. If you will keep your
promise and give me puppy to take
his place, I promise to make amends by
undertaking his early education ayself
this time.
/ hope to come your way in a few
weeks, and we will discuss this further
Until then give him my love and