18G FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



scratcliecl for herself and lier puppies a sort of 

 bed of earth and grass, and, as fiir as the trap 

 Avoukl let her do so, in the cold winter's night 

 and morning, forgetful of her own pain, she had 

 curled herself round her puppies to keep them 

 w^arin. The fact Avas reported to me — I, luckily, 

 saw nothing of it; mother and puppies were re- 

 moved, and I Lelievc that an excitement to haste 

 in this matter arose among my men, from a know- 

 ledge possessed by them that, lurcher or no 

 lurcher, had the natural affection of the creature 

 existing under such difficulties been known to 

 me, not a hair of herself or her puppies would 

 have been injured. On the 3'ounger portion of 

 my readers, then, I would most sedulously endea- 

 vour to impress that it is possible, in som'e degree, 

 to refine the roughest amusement ; gold can be 

 made to shine even in addition to its lustre, 

 and the lily delicately treated, though not ab- 

 solutely ^'painted," will raise her pure head and 

 look UKjre lovely, ere, alas ! like other things, she 

 fades away. Passion of every sort, even the intensity 

 of love, should be governed by a spell that held 

 all else but affection in a bondage irreproachable, 

 and l)ound every thought of man to the interests 



