IIO OUR DOGS. 



cause ; still, because he was dear to Charley, papa and 

 mamma winked very hard at his transgressions. 



The name of this little black individual was Stromion, 

 a name taken from a German fairy tale, which the Pro- 

 fessor was very fond of reading in the domestic circle ; and 

 Stromion, by dint of much patience, much feeding, and very 

 indulgent treatment, grew up into a very fat, common-look- 

 ing black cur dog, not very prepossessing in appearance 

 and manners, but possessed of the very best heart in the 

 world, and most inconceivably affectionate and good-natured. 

 Sometimes some of the older members of the family would 

 trouble Charley's enjoyment in his playfellow by suggesting 

 that he was no blood dog, and that he belonged to no par- 

 ticular dog family that could be named. Papa comforted 

 him by the assurance that Stromion did belong to a very 

 old and respectable breed, that he was a mongrel; and 

 Charley after that valued him excessively under this head ; 

 and if any one tauntingly remarked that Stromion was 

 only a cur, he would flame up in his defence, " He is n't 

 a cur, he's a mongrel," introducing him to strangers with 

 the addition to all his other virtues, that he was a "pure 

 mongrel, papa says so." 



The edict against dogs in the family having once been 

 broken down, Master Will proceeded to gratify his own 

 impulses, and soon led home to the family circle an enor- 

 mous old black Newfoundland, of pure breed, which had 



