114 OUR DOGS. 



did he want to get into papa's bed ? he should be brought 

 down stairs, that he should " ; all which, addressed to a 

 young rascal whose sinews were all like steel, and who 

 could have jumped from the top stair to the bottom like a 

 feather, was sufficiently amusing. 



Giglio's singular beauty and grace were his only merits ; 

 he had no love nor power of loving ; he liked to be petted 

 and kept warm, but it mattered nothing to him who did it. 

 He was as ready to run off with a stranger as with his 

 very best friend, would follow any whistle or any caller, 

 was, in fact, such a gay rover, that we came very near 

 losing him many times ; and more than once he was brought 

 back from the Boston cars, on board which he had followed 

 a stranger. He also had, we grieve to say, very careless 

 habits ; and after being washed white as snow, and adorned 

 with choice rose-colored ribbons, would be brought back 

 soiled and ill-smelling from a neighbor's livery-stable, where 

 he had been indulging in low society. For all that, he was 

 very lordly and aristocratic in his airs with poor Stromion, 

 who was a dog with a good, loving heart, if he was black 

 and homely. Stromion admired Giglio with the most evident 

 devotion ; he would always get up to give him the warm 

 corner, and would sit humbly in the distance and gaze on 

 him with most longing admiration, for all of which my 

 fine gentleman rewarded him only with an occasional snarl 

 or a nip, as he went by him. Sometimes Giglio would con- 



