39 Life and Immortality. 



established a bond between the soul of the master and the 

 dog, and certainly no one can believe that the bond can ever 

 be severed by the death of the material body, whether of the 

 man or the animal. 



That Friendship, which is another branch of love, exists 

 among animals, is a well-known fact. But it is among the 

 domesticated animals that it most frequently exhibits itself. 

 Horses, as every one knows, which have been accustomed to 

 draw the same carriage are usually sure to be great friends, 

 and if one be exchanged the other becomes quite miserable 

 for want of his companion and seems unable to throw any 

 spirit into his work. Dogs, top, are very apt to strike up 

 friendships with each other. Among animals it is not con- 

 fined to one species, but is occasionally found to exhibit 

 itself in those which might be supposed to be peculiarly 

 incongruous in their nature. That cows and sheep live, as 

 a rule, on good terms with each other in the same pasture 

 is a familiar experience, though sometimes the former are a 

 little prone to domineer over the latter. . But a very strong 

 affection sometimes exists between animals so different, and 

 when once they have accustomed themselves to each other's 

 society neither can be happy without the other. The goat 

 and the horse frequently become friends, and a peculiarly 

 vicious horse has been known to allow a goat to take undue 

 liberties with him without the least manifestation of resent- 

 ment. In many places the stable-cat is quite an institution. 

 Its usual place of repose is upon the back of the horse, and 

 the latter has been known to grow very uneasy if left for any 

 length of time without the companionship of his little friend. 

 A very singular instance of friendship occurred at the rural 

 home of a near relative. He had a fine mastiff which had 

 taken a fancy to a brood of young chickens, and which acted 

 as their protector. They were not at all unwilling to accept 

 him in this capacity, as they followed him about just as 

 though he had been their mother. Quite an interesting 

 sight it was to watch the dog and the chickens as they 



