Year: 1878

MANY years dSOJ hI' maleldhuJ q
spectacle farmer, died in one of thC
settlements of Canada. He left widow
a pious and amiable woman, and three
small children. Mrs. Maitland thought
herself unable to manage her large
farm, and after renting cottage in the
nearest village, she leased her land fol
a number of years, and then sold of
everything except the necessary furni'
ture for her new home.


After the sale was over, friend went
into the house and congratulated hel
upon the plan she had adopted, remark
ing at the same time that she could moi
feel secure in her unprotected state
while in that lonely house.


"Notunprotected, replied Mrs. Matt
land with sad smile, "you forget that
| am under the especial care of Him
who remembers the fatherless and the
widow in their desolatiOn."


The farmhouse was a solitary one
not another within balfa mile, and that
night there was good deal of money
in the house-the proceeds of the sale.
The mother, her three young children
and a servant girl were the sole inmates.
They had retired to rest, but the wind
was bowling fearfully, and shaking the
old house at every blast. This kept the
poor mother awake, and she Thought
she heard in the pauses of the tempest,
some strange and unusual noise, ap.
parently at the back of the house.
While eagerly listening to catch the
sound again, she was startled by the
violent barking of a dog, seemingly just
beneath her bedroom. This alarmed
her still more, as they kept no dog on
the place. She Immediately arose, and
going to the servants room awoke her,
and they went down stairs together.
There was moon, though the night
was cloudy, but still light enough to
distinguish objects family. They saw
a very large black dog in the hall
scratching and gnawing furiously at
the door leading into the kitchen,
whence Mrs. Maitland thought the noise
she first heard had proceeded.


She requested the servant to open the
door which the dog was scratching so
violently. The girl was fearless crea.
ture, and she did so without hesitation,
when the dog rushed into the kitchen
and the widow saw through the open
door two men at the kitchen window
which was open. The men instantly
retreated, and the dog leaped through
the window after them, when violent
scufile ensued, and it was evident from
the occasional yelplng of the noble dog,
that he was sometimes getting the worst
of 1t. The noise of the contest gradually
receded till Mrs. Maitland could only
hear a faint and distant bark. The
robbers and perhaps murderers, had
taken out pane ofglass which enabled
them to undo the fastenngs of the win
dow, when but for the dog, they would
have, doubtless, accomplished their
purpose.


The mistress and servant now dressed
themselves; for sleeping any more that
night was out of the question. They
had scarcely gotten down stairs the
second time when they heard their pro-
tector scratching at the outer door for
admittance. When It was opened he
came in Wagging his bushy tail, and
fawning upon each of them to be petted
and praised for his valor. He then
stretched his huge body at full length
beside the warm stove and went to sleep.
such breakfast as he got the next
morning! but nothing could induce him
to prolong his visit. He stood whining
at the door till 1t was opened, when he
galloped off in a great hurry and they
never saw him again. Neither had they
ever seen the dog before and did not
know to whom he belonged.


This little story, CLEANED from the
Journals Of a missionary In Canada, not
only adds another bay leaf to the crown
awarded the most faithful and intelligent
of brutes, but what Is better, confirms
the sweet and restful assurance that
"He who keepeth Israel neither slun-
bers nor sleeps"