Year: 1869

Ky COL. t. W. HGGGINsoN.


l AM going to tell you some remarkable
dog stories Not stories out of books, that
you know already, but about dogs that
bave seen and observed myself. Hardly
a boy will read this who has known these
particular dogs, | suppose, so the stories
will be quite new. Only some of you
may have seen other dogs do some of the
Same things.


The finest dog ever saw was named
Brave. He was very large, handsome
Newfoundland, with brindled hide that
made him look like q lion. He belonged
to friend Of mine, near Portland, Maine.


The first time that saw him, l went to
the house to spend the night. After ten
we went through the front.parlor into the
back. parlor, where Brave lay, apparently
asleep. My friend laid his handkerchief,
in passing, on n shelf of the bookcase in
the front room II did not know why.
We sat and talked, and as my friend was
describing something to us, he said gently,
without raising or altering his voice:


Brave, have lost my handkerchief; (;
will you find it for meP"


MY friend had one Of the lowest and
gentlest voices ever heard in man. l
hardly should have noticed thathe put in
anything apart from the general conver-
sstion. But instantly Brave jumped up,
ran into the front parlor, and scrambled
over every thing till he found
the handkerchief. II seemed as if he
understood every single word that was
said. How else did he know that he was
to fetch a handkerchief, and not cap or
glovesp do not suppose that he really
knew that, but only that he was to find
something that his master had lately had
and 80 found the handkerchief by the
smell, as dog tracks his masters foot
steps.


Brave had formerly belonged to con.
ductor on the Portland and Montreal
Railway, and had travelled with him. SO
he was very fond of going on the railway
especially in winter, and up toward Can
ada. He would quietly disappear from
home, and the next thing he would b.
heard of in Montreal, going about wag
ging his tail and renewing his acquaint
ance with old friends; for every man OF
the railway knew him. In few days HI
would come back, run home from the sta
tlon, and seem delighted to see every one
especially the children.


| But once he staid away fortnight, auC
| vet was in Portland all the time. 1t wa!
for very queer reason.


He had been accused of killing hen
Afterward they thought he did not near
TO kill her, but had jumped over fence
upon her, and crushed her by his weight
| However, his master whipped him for II
Brave took the whipping very quietly
| But as soon as it was over he trotted of
to PortlanN, three miles away. There
he staid, and the strangest thing was ht
would never notice his master in The
street, IL he met him He used to "cul
him dead" as they say; would marcel
right by him on the sidewalk, and nevel
| condescend to look at him. His master
said he felt dreadfully--felt as If Brav,
despised him for hisinjustIce one day
Brave came home. He seemed to havC
forgiven them all, and you may believe hi
never was whipped again.


| Next to him, | should rank for intelli
gence little terrier named Pip, VIII,
| lived at a house where boarded for save
raj years in this town. Pip would hav,
been mere mouthiul for Brave, but h
had almost as much brains behind hi
bright little eyes as Brave in his BIZ
head.


Let me tell you this to show how b. Ugh
he was. Suppose you were away at schoo
and wrote your mother a letter, do yol
think she could pick out that letter a
yours, unless she could read the direction
But when Pip's mistress was away ans
wrote TO her sister, Pip would put hi
head into the sisters pocket and pull ou
the letter, and keep it in his mouth ant
between his paws, and growl If you trie
to take it away. This have seen him d,
and you never could make him take an
notice of any letter that was not hers,


He loved to have his hair combed, an
If you said, Do you want to be combed
Pip?p he would run to drawer where hi
comb was keptpull it open, take the CONT
bring 1t in his mouth, and jump up
his mistress lap to be combed. But b
hated to be washed and if you said, I'D
you want to be washed, Pip 2" he woul
jump up in your lap and lick your hand
and face eagerly, as II to say: "Oh
please, don't wash mel"


If any body threatened to whip him
he would do the same. This happene
sometimes (not the whipping, but th
threatening), for Pip was often yer
troublesome. He barked at all poo
people, am sorry to say, and at all colore
people, and at every body with red hal
and at every body else whom he did nc
like; and this included most Of the huma
race, besides all dogs. SO that really h
bsrked furiously most of the time. Blu
then we said "He is so affectionate
or, He is so intelligent ~


He always seemed To feel himself pal
Of whatever went on. Once when th
family were putting up some curtain
somebody wanted a hammer, and said
"Mary, the cook, has itp OFF went Phi
up two flights of stairs, aud barked a
Mary the cooks door, till she came dow
to see what was wanted, and brought tn
hammer.


Pip had one piece Of good manners tn,
struck me very much. II showed MOI
delicacy than most men and women hav
When l first lived with him, notice
that If he barked TO come in At any doc
and you opened it, he would look at yol
and stand still, This seemed foolish o
inconsiderate, and said so to his mistress
"Not at all, said she, he Is waiting
be invited in" And so found it. Th
moment you said, "COme In, Pipl" b
would wag his tail and run In, happy a
could be. But unless you said il, he woul
never stir, IL you shut him out agaiI


That was trNe politeness How man
J children or even grown people viii ban
and bang at a door, and as soon as 20
open IL VIII push Tudely In, halt upset
ting you, perhaps, and never thankin
you I We call saoh people dogs" an
puppie8,p perhaps bat that does grea
Injustice 10 little Pip. Unfortunately
though, bis mannere were not In sll I,
Speeta 90 coed snd as was polaonsd on