Year: 1871

The Dog That Stood ON His Dignity.


He was not oar dog. We never kept
any animals in the house e-not.even cats
And if Bruno had belonged to us, fear
that we never should have priced him as
he deserved, for we had been terribly
frightened about mad dogs when we were
children, and so had grown up with q
most unreasonable dread of the whole ca.
nine race.


When left my careless girlhood behind
l tried to leave my cowardice with it, but
to this day am only courageous in streaks
where dogs are concerned. Bruno was a
great shaggy, black dog, as big as calf
six months old. He was kept as watch
dog in large store, and when our home
fell to US in the rooms over said store, he
seemed to think that he had us also in his
charge.


The people before us had made much of
him; inviting him up stairs, letting the
bnby ride on his back, or go to sleep with
him on the floor, and treating him to a
taste of all the nice It'd bits that were
brought into the house. OF course he
soon thought he had the freedom of the
place.


BE had such large, pleasant eyes, so full
Of benevolence and of fun, too that it is
a mystery how could help liking him.
But if he had been lion or big bear, /
could not have been more nearly scared to
death than l was on the day of our arri-
val, when looking up from basket of
dishes that | was unpacking, l saw his
huge form in the doorway. Over went
basket, and with a marvellous spring /
went over the basket clear into the ad-
joining room, where l shut the door with
a bang, locked it, and then screamed for
dear life. just then some one out of doors
whistled cheerily and the monstrous fellow
went bouncing down the stairs to my
great relief.


saw no more Of him that day, but the
next morning he paid me visit had
just placed the gridiron over nice bed OF
Goals, and held in my hand a plateful OF
juicy steak, cut ready for broiling, when
heard painting sound close by me- and
looking round, there stood Bruno with his
great open mouth nearly on level with
nay shoulder.


was too frightened to scream or to run
away. My first thought was the necessity
of coaxing rather than fighting, if happily
might escape with my life.


Trembling l held out to him bit oi
raw meat. The immense jaws gave one
snap and the bit vanished. Another and
another followed, until only tiny morsel
remained for my husbands breakfast.
Gould L not in some way save that? !
made several steps backward toward the
door, and hope began to spring up in my
heart. But Bruno, alas had been taught
to speak for what he wanted, and now,
with one eye on the remnant in the dish,
he tipped his head back and-spoke That
was enough. l threw him the meat in de.
spair, just managing, as l did so, to get out
of the room. 1 don't think my husband
particularly enjoyed breakfasting on dry
toast alone, but he had taken an unac-
countable fancy to the dog, and 1 remem,
Der that l thought the scanty fare suita.
BILE punishment for such taste.


Hell run mad and bite you, aud then
you will have the hydrophobia, and bite
me" said, when man.like he tried to rea.
son with me. As if a woman's fears could
ever be made amenable to reason.


Bruno was now evidently determined
to give me the pleasure of his acquaint.
ance. Whether the breakfast gave him an
idea that l was subject to generous i'm.
pulses, or whether he liked me for my own
sake, cannot say, but l was hopelessly
in bis good graces. He evidently thought
my friendship worth having, and left no
doggish art untried to win it,


Once in particular, when L was nicely
dressed for going out, sat down to wait
for my husband, who was preparing to ac-
company me. Ladies wore drapeTy sleeves
then, and | had donned for the occasion
an elegant pair of lace undersleeves. They
were a present from dear friend, who
had herself embroidered them, and was
admiring the delicate work, when Bruno
came into the room, and in his unfeigned
delight in fine appearance, laid his dirty
wet nose directly across my arm. Did't
jump?


My laces were so soiled, and the fringed
trimming of the oversleeves so bedaubed
and tangled, that l had to dress again, and
not half so becomingly.


"Ugh! You great ugly curl" said 1 ;
but | took care to wait until he was out OF
hearing before said it.


"He is only scrapiDg acquaintance, u
said my husband, laughing


But was determined not to be familiar
with him.


BEASTS we're not made to live in the
house with human beings" l said to Bru.
nos master, one morning when l was
brushing the stair carpet. The dog had
never learned to use the mat at the door,
and all the sand that everybody tracked
into the house was consequently laid to
his want of neatness.


"If you really do not like to have him
come up. stairs" said Bruno's master, "you
have only to tell him so. He will under
stand and take the hint"


had never yet spoken to him, except
to coax him hypocri6cally when his pres.
ence frightened me. "PoOr Bruno Good
fellow ~ was all had ventured to utter.


But 1 had little faith in the remarkable
intelligence that would enable him to take
hint that was sometimes thrown away
upon my own species. Nevertheless, /
thought the experiment worth trying.
That very noon Bruno appeared, about
dinner-time, just dropping in a moment to
see what l was up to. He had habit OF
doing this at meal times, and if he was
hungry, it was particularly inconvenient
the politeness of saying good morning, l
began:


"Brunol'


He looked up, and opened his mouth ex-
pectantly.


Bruno" said l, speaking slowly but
impressively, "you must go down stairs
directly, and don'tyou ever show your face
up here again"


Poor BruDol He had been wagging hi
tail ever since he came in, out of pure good
will. He looked at me wistfully, just a mo-
ment, TO be sure that | was in earnest
can't say that there were not tears in his
eyes. lam sure the happy light went out
of them. But, with only the mute protest
Of look, he turned away and went out OF
the room.


AT first I could not believe that he SO
well understood me but no persuasion OF
my husbands, nor even the promise of the
incest beefsteak, could induce him to enter
our doors. Neither could he be coaxed To
approach me. He never seemed TO be
aware Of my presence, and if l met him
anywhere about the premises and stopped
to speak to him, he passed ON as compOs'
edly as if had been invisible. Somehow
got the b. tier of my cowsrdice when !
| found he Mnnld have nothing 10 do with