Evening star., 1948-06-13
lust Between
Ourselves
BY Philip H. Love-

In the suburb in which grew up
the boys had nothing but contempt
for "city dicks" The boys who lived
within the city limits. however, were
equally contemptuous of us country
jakes." Sometimes, I'm sorry tt
have to confess, our mutual con-
tempt resulted in fights.
My dog Butch, even though most
Of his life has been spent within
the District of Columbia, is a coun.
try jake at heart.
When I bought Butch, we livec
in the suburbs-in Chevy Chase
D. c., which, even though it's with.
in the city limits, isn't all scruncheo
up into a tight little wad. We hac
a front yard and a back yard, and q
pair of side yards besides. Butch
loved them all-and was content
to stay in them.
Then we moved into the city, into
a rowhouse with a blob of earth
in back which passed for a yard
and dab in front which trieo
to do the same. Butch, like any
other country jake, hated it.
From breakfast to bedtime, he
bounded us to take him for walks
and every chance he got, he ran
of. Two or three times, he stayed
away all night-which was a dread
full thing for such nice dog to do
But now Butch is happy again
We're living in the suburbs, back
in Chevy Chase. and he loves it.
He no longer hounds us to take
him out, and when we do let him
go, he never ventures outside the
yard unaccompanied. In fact, he
doesn't even like to 60 off the front
stoop without an escort
Several times, we have forgotten
and left him outside. In the city
he would have taken advantage OF
the opportunity to run off-lookine
for the country, no doubt. But now
he has all the country any dog could
wish for, and he's content to stay
put. He leaves the yard only when
given special permission-and he
comes trotting back the moment he
hears our whistle. I don't believe
all the hamburger in Hamburg could
lure him away.
City dogs turned loose in the coun-
try are likely to chase birds, chickens
rabbits, squirrels or even pigs. But
not Butch. True, he took out after
the first squirrel that crossed our
yard. but I said, "Uh-uh, Butch,
and that was the end Of such carry
ings-on. The other day, as he was
summing himself in the front yard.
a squirrel galloped right over him
He raised his head, looked at the
squirrel, looked at me, looked at the
squirrel again, then went back to
sleep.
He got used to chickens and pigs
long ago, on the farm in Southern
Maryland on which we spend our
summer vacations. So far as know
he has never seen a rabbit, but I'm
sure he'd be as indifferent to one as
he is to the birds which swarm all
over our yard. He just looks at the
birds, looks at us to see what We
want him to do, then. in the absence
of an order to Get 'em, Butch,
goes about his business.
4 X X
Like any other country jake,
Butch is distrustful of strangers.
If we're cool toward them, so is he;
if we're cordial, he'll thaw out
enough to let them pet him; if we're
really all-out friendly, he'll even kiss
them. But the kiss isn't an avowal
of permanent affection. The next
time they come, he waits to see how
we greet them, then acts accordingly.
Toward stuffed shirts, he is always
cool, no matter how polite We may
be required to be to them. And
that's the best evidence of all that
he's a thoroughbred country jake at
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