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T1IK GUIDE TO NATURE 



good naps without being detected as 

 1 reclined on the easiest chairs and 

 sofas in the drawing room, for, of 

 course, on my account the chintz had 

 been taken off. 1 did not take much 

 stock in the big Christmas dinner, 



•1 DO LIKE THE LADIES; SOME ARK 



AWFULLY NICE AND SAY SUCH 



NICE THINGS." 



though 1 knew the old mahogany tahle 

 with its silver and dishes laden with 

 hits of good things, under a hlaze of 

 wax candles, held eatables that even I 

 a dog, could have done justice to; but 

 I could not get near it as the chairs 

 were all occupied. The noise in the 

 room was quite deafening at times 

 there was so many ladies present, and 

 only occasionally could I make out 

 what was said. The human carving 

 the turkey (a beauty raised in New 

 Brunswick) said that he thought he 



would invent a pair of X-ray eye- 

 glasses by which the joints of the bird 

 could he quickly discovered. Me 

 doubtless forgot there was a real 

 Scotch terrier present who would have 

 found no difficulty in discovering the 

 joints had he only had a chance. But, 

 dear mistress, there is something about 

 these big days that causes a dog to 

 feel heavy about the eyes. I would 

 love to be in a position to tell you 

 some of the smart things said by some 

 of the ladies, if I could have kept my 

 mind from wandering from things so 

 closed}- connected with sleep and 

 dreams. At the drinking of the King's 

 health. 1 did feel quite wide-awake. 

 When the company, all standing, each 

 with a glass held high in the air, 

 shouted, "The King, God bless him!" 

 and then, all sitting, drank to "absent 

 friends," I thought of you ! 



When the ladies retired to the 

 drawing room, I went too. I do like 

 the ladies ; some are awfully nice and 

 say such sweet things. During the 

 evening quite a number of humans of 

 both kinds dropped in until we were 

 quite a big party. I found so many 

 rather a nuisance, as some ass was 

 continually stepping on my tail, seem- 

 ing to prefer it to the carpet. I would 

 have much preferred the carpet's get- 

 ting all the weight. 



The humans made some fun acting 

 charades. The words were "Monkey 

 Brand" and "Antarctic." Both words 

 were really well acted, but it would 

 not be expected otherwise, from such 

 an array of talent as we had, Scotch, 

 English, Canadians and Americans be- 

 ing there. I don't know what breed 

 the asses belonged to. 



But, dear mistress, you ought to 

 have seen how artistically the Christ- 

 mas decorations were arranged under 

 the direction of Aunt Helen and Cousin 

 Portia, in fir, barevine and poinsettias, 

 and under a deer's head the mistletoe, 

 which, by the way, you know is only 

 used by those who cannot get kisses 

 otherwise. A dog does not need to use 

 it. 



I think all bull dogs are conceited, 

 1 hate it in either humans or dogs. I 

 have enough to make me conceited but 



