DOGS AND PETS 9 



him covered up and he does not try to get out ; I am 

 trying to borrow a cage. Many thanks for your letter. 

 When do you expect to get a siskin ? Thank Car for her 

 line, I must write to her in a day or two. I shall get the 

 holiday to-morrow as I have now got down 76 marks. 

 Love to all with Willy.* 



I am yr. affecte. brother, 



TAFF. 



In many of his letters and, very likely, in his personal 

 behaviour to his brother, Alfred adopted very much the 

 attitude of the elder brother when they were boys ; he 

 was constantly correcting small mistakes in Edward's 

 letters and condemning any tendency he might have 

 towards making exaggerated statements. It was a 

 useful training for the younger boy, who learnt early to 

 make careful observations and became an excellent field- 

 naturalist, " better than the best gamekeeper and as 

 good as a warrener," as Alfred said of him in later 

 days. 



As well as ponies and ducks and other animals they 

 kept dogs, " Crab " and " Wasp," and often a family of 

 puppies. Alfred used to say that he was always very 

 " doggy," but in after years, when he no longer lived in 

 the country, he thought it was not kind to keep one in a 

 town. When " Crab " died, he wrote to his brother 

 from Stetchworth, on May 3, 1845 : 



Poor Crab, I can do nothing but lament over his 

 death, in fact I can hardly believe it. Pray save some of 

 his hair, and have him buried honourably in the garden 

 as near the poor old pony as possible. I am now so 

 excessively sorry that I did not sketch his head when I 

 was last at home. I will certainly do the others directly 

 I go back. There is certainly a fatality attending the 

 Wasps. How many puppies are left ? 



* Their nurse, Williamson. 



