Year: 1873

All read stories Of sagacious dogs with
interest Here is a new one, and 1t has
the additional merit of being strictly true.


A certain LAWYER in San Francisco has


wife. a nurse girl, a whole house full OF


small children, and large Newfoundland


dog as playmate for the little ones. III


was not known until lately that the dog
had any other merits than a dogglsh at
tachment to the family, a kind, playful
disposition and a good appetite. start
ling exigency arose and he became me
brave defender of that family


The lawyer has a near nelghbor whose
wife is afflicted with mild type of insan
ity. The unfortunate woman was sup
posed to be perfectly harmless, and her
husband kept her with him She Was an
object of mournful interest in the neigh
bOrhood and her vagarles sometimes
amused the children. Nobody ever
thought of her becoming dangerous: one
day when the lawyer was at his Office ana p
his wife was out shopping and the chill
dren. left in charge of the nurse-girl, were
romping with the dog, there was violent
knocking at the door which startled The
whole house The nurse-girl went to tho
door, and the children crowded around
her, and the dog was there too, with an ex
preston of interest on his countenance
When the door was opened the crazy
woman forced her way into the hall,
looking very much excited She talked
loud and looked wild, and
was evidently raving mad. The dog knew
her, and appearing also TO know that there
was something wrong on foot, he crowded
| in between the affrighted children and the
visitor, and commenced barking. The
nurse-r girl not being alarmed, told him To
| "ret OUT The maniac woman II seems
| took the remark as addressed to her, selz-
| ed the girl by the hair, and dragged her
down. and finally clutched her throat ana
commenced strangling her. The girl was
nowerless in the hands of the maniac, ana
| the children ran screaming. 1he dog not
| liking the course matters had dakeh,
snrang at the mad woman with open jaws,
and fastened upon her. She loosened her
hold of the PROSTATE girl, and made her
| way to the door in charge of the dog. She
stepped outside, and the animal let her go;
The nurse girl then bolted the door ana


the now doubly enraged woman began 10
throw stones and break the W1ndo"s, ana
finally got an AK and commenced he"lhg
down the door The house was IN me
suburbs, and no policeman was near me
Girl locked tbe terrified children in back
room. and leaving the dog TO guard the
bouse went out by back door and has
tened TO the lawyers office. "a


The mad woman, hearing the children
sbrieking in the back part of the house
and the barking of the dog in the same
direction, left the front door and went


around to the rear Of the house. She saw


the children's faces huddled together in


the window, and made fresh attack. She


broke the window all to pieces and tried


to get in by it, but the opening was little


too high and she had no ladder. The ter


ror of the children during this season can


probably be imagined. They heard their


friend, the dog, at the door outside, and


there he faithfully staid, protesting


against the riotous proceedings with hls
deep-toned voice. Presently the baffied


maniac made her way through the. back
door with her AK, and stood tace to lace
with the foe that had previously forbidden
her the house He lay crouching at the
children's door, and there the lawyer
found him when he came, with a assfnclent


force to raise the seige. In few hours the


mad woman became as quiet and laonen-
sive as ever, but there has been. neigh
borhood meeting to consider the proprle-
ty of reporting the danger and having her
sent to an asylum. That dog, doubtless,


thoroughly enjoyed the next play-tlme
with those children.