Year: 1874

Everybody knows how the Ettrick


Shepherd pleasantly tells of the dogs


that used to accompany their masters


to chareh, in the pastoral district in


which he lived-hoW they lay quiet and


patient during the whole service, TIL


tho last psalm was sung, and the minis


ter and congregation stood up for the


blessing, wien their delight at The pros


pect of immediate emancipation could


no longer be restrained, but expressed


itself by Joyous barking. In the pas


tOral districts of Scotland, the number


of dogs present during divine service


always very much attracts the notice Of


strangers We heard from the minis


ter of one of the most strictly pastoral
! parishes in Tweeddalc the following
! curious anecdote. When lie entered OH
/ his charge, being a stranger to the dis


trict, he was both surprised and an
/ nOyed at the presence of the numerous
/ dogs in church, regarding it pretty


much as the husband of Jennie Deans


regarded the tobacco-pipe with which


the Highland gentleman sOlaced him
self during the service, and condemned


it from the pulpit rs unseemly, request


ing the shepherds thenceforth to leave


their dogs at home. The shepherds,


perhaps wondered a little, but the re-


quest was generally complied with for


time. However, there was one


spl ndid collie that soon made his APP


pearanco again, and took up his place
on the pulpit stairs, which h. had long


specially appropriated to himself, lying


very quietly, unless some other dog


ventUred to set foot upon the stairs, an


intrusion which he would not permit.


One day, the minister met the shep-


herd, the owner of the dog, acCompa-


MED, of course. by his faithful attend
ant. Tie shepherd Immediately re-


ferred apOlOgetically to the subject.
said to us, we tried to keep the dogs at
hame but this ane was over gleg (too
sharp for us. We steekit (shut) him in
for twa Sabbath-days, but ever sin
that, we ne'er see him on the Sabbath
mornin', he just slips ava scme way On
the Saturday nicht, and the next we see
O. him is on the pulpit stairs, when we
come to the kirk" The intelligence
displayed by the dog in the anecdote |
Just related implies power of thinking
such as VIC hardly expect to find III the |
lower animals, besides a remarkable |
strength of WILL for the dog certainly
lost breakfast, and probably also a |
supper, to crafty his desire of occupy
ing his place of honor on the pulpit
stairs.


We once Witnessed an extraordinary .
scene in which shepherds dogs were
the actors. An Edinburgh minister
was to preach a sermon, on summer
evening, in an empty wool-barn in one
of the most lonely dales of the southern
highlands in Scotland, and tie inhabi
tants Of the dale, mostly shepherds and
their families, were assembled to hear
him. The woOl-barn was in the upper
story of two stor ed building, and the
approach to it was by an outside stair
without a railing. The congregation
consisted of some forty or fifty people,
burt tIru~l5urrl would hurv~Ir1ld IIruUlI
greater number, and there was a wide
ODen space between the table at which
the preacher stood and the near seat
placed for his hearers. This the dogs
which the shepherds had brought with
them at once appropriated to themselves
as a fit place for amusement. They
evidently did not suppose themselves
to be at church, and felt under no obli-
cation to quiet and orderly behavior.
They were in very frolicsome humor
and at first it seemed doubtful if divine
service could be proceeded with. Oc-
casionally, they all rushed out by the
open door and downstairs, but soon re-
turned again to resume their gYratiOns
on the barn floor. Fortunately, how
ever, it happened, ere,long, that one of
them, in rushing out, touched an earth
euware plate which was set upon the
landing place at the top of the stair for
the collection, usually made in Scotland
on every occasion of public worship,
and knocked it over the edge. The
plate was broken, and the coppers scat
tered on the ground, but the service
went on without further Interruptions
from the dogs. Immediately on the
smash and jingle being heard, every dog
from the barn, and not one
of them showed face again till the con-
was dismissed. They evil
deutIy knew that they had committed a
fault one of them had done the mis-
chief they were all art and part and
taking blame to themselves accordingly,
they fed ashamed What communica-
tions they had among themselves out of
doors, and whether or not any chastise-
ment was inflicted on the careless dog
that overturned the plate, we cannot
tell -POberf (Hn716eTS