DOGS, AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. 367 
And to him I only had to say, “ Don, please do this,” 
“ Don’t make so much noise,” “I wish you would go 
down after the mail,” “ Get your basket and go to the 
meat-market,” “ Please open, or shut the door,” and the 
many tricks I taught him. And when I made these 
requests an almost human look would spring into his 
face, and as quick as they could be these things were 
done. How that dog loved me! I took him in his in- 
fancy, his puppyhood. At that time he was but a little 
roll of curly innocence. I was patient with him ; over- 
looked his childish faults; taught him I was his friend; 
from the hand of my wife and myself he received his 
food,—-the embryonic seeds of kindness which we sowed 
early, budded in his heart and blossomed into a love 
that only his death severed. Severed? Not with us, 
simply with him; for in our hearts no other dog can 
take his place. Others may come and go, but none 
ean touch the tendrils of two responsive hearts as did 
Don. It is twelve years since he died, but the passing 
years do not lessen our love for him, but increases it: 
over our hall door his portrait in oil hangs, and greets 
us every day with that same sweet, mild look he always 
had for us when alive. And if, at this late day, my 
wife and I talk of Don, and the intelligence he pos- 
sessed, how he guarded her and the children, how, 
when once I asked him to go with her one stormy 
night, he went and would allow no one to come near 
her ; how when she moved he was always at her side : 
and when she stepped out to sing he terrified the audi- 
ence with his angry growl when some persons tried to 
restrain him; and then, while she sang, he obeyed the 
wish of his master and lay at his mistress’ feet and 
guarded and protected her. and then saw her safely 
