Evening star., 1928-02-28

American writer Of Western stories and
sketches IN California sn,,mnl h" had i;rsr varcd
teacher aud editor. Perhaps hls hcst
r"i"r ,R%" Fia, f.c'Gu and Tho Lick nu Of Roarins
Camp.")
I never knew how the subject Of
this memoir came to attach himself so
closely to the affections Of my family
He was not prcpoSscssing dog. He
was not q dog OF even average birth
and breeding His pedigree was in
volved in the deepest obscurity. He may
even have had brothers and sisters, but
in the whole range of my canine ac-
quaintancc ca pretty extensive onep l
never detected any of Boonder's pccul-
iarities in any other of his species.
His body was long. and his forelegs
and hind legs were very wide apart.
as though Nature originally intended
to put an extra pair between them, and
had unwisely allowed herself to be per-
suaded out of it. This popularity was
annoying on cold nights. as 1t always
prolonged the interval of keeping the
door open for Boonders ingress long
enough to allow two or three dogs OF
q reasonable length to enter. Boondcr's
feet we're decided: his toes turned out
conside ably, and in repoSe his favorite
attitude was the first position Of dane
ing. Add to a pair Of bright eyes ears
that seemed to belong to some other
dog. and a symmctrically pointed nose
that fitted all apertures like a pass-kcy,
and you have Boondcr as we knew him.
: am inclined to think that his popu-
larity was mainly owing to his quiet
impudcnce. His advent in the family
was that Of an old member Nho had
been absent for short time. but had
returned to familiar haunts and associ-
ations In Pythagorean point of view
this might have been the case-that Is
to say. since Pythagoras was the great
believer in rcincarnation perhaps the
dog might be some former being now
in a new form i'll lifc-but l cannot
recall any deceased member of the
fe lily who was in life partial to bone
buryn tthough it might be post NOR
tenn consistent amuscmenD, and this
was BoonderS great weakness. He was
at first discovered coiled up on rug
in an upper chamber. and was Ass
least upset OF the entire household.
From that moment Boonder became
one of It's recognized members, and
privileges often denied the most intel
ligcnt and valuable of his species were
quietly taken by him and submitted TO
by us. Thus. II he were found colled
up In clothes basket, or any article
of clothing assumed locomotiOn on its
own account. We only said, oh. It's
Boonder," with feeling OF relief that
1t was nothing worse.
I have spoken Of his fondneSS FOR
bone -burying 1t could not be called
an economical faculty. for he invari-
ably forgot the locality OF his treasure.
and covered the garden with purpose.
~
daisies were not improved by Boonder's
gardening. no one ever thought of pun
ishing him. He became synonym OF
Fate: a Boonder to be grumbled at. TO
be accepted phiiosophically-but never
to be averted.
But although he was not an tnteln-
gent dog or an ornamental dog, he pos
sessed some gentlemanly instincts. When
he performed his only feat-begging
upon his hind legs tand looking re-
markably like a penguin) ignorant
strangers would offer him crackers or
cake, which he didn't like. as a reward
OF merit Boonder always made great
show Of accepting the proffered dalnticS,
and even made hypocritical contortions.
as IL swallowing. but always deposited
the morsel, when he was unobserved IN
the first convenient rcccptacle--uSually
the visitors overShoes.
In matters that did not involve cour-
tesy, Roonder was sincere in his likes
and his d!SlikeS He was instinctively
opposed to the railroad. When the track
was laid through our street, Boonder
maintained a defiant attitude toward
every rail as 1t Wei: down. and resisted
the cars shortly after to the fullest ex-
tent Of his lungs.
have a vivid recollection Of seeing
Al. - H., <xF taA iuI ys{t
down the street in front OF the car,
barking himself out of all shape. and
thrown back several feet by the recoil
OF each bark But Boonder was not
the only one who has resisted innova-
tions or has lived to see the innovation
prosper and even crush--but am an
ticipating