IN BOOKS AND REAL LIFE 189 



himself, gets out of condition, and becomes mis- 

 anthropic. By nature, though he is death on 

 vermin, he is the most amiable of animals ; but in 

 town he snaps savagely at the milkman's legs, or 

 makes a snatch at the seat of the trousers of the 

 butcher's boy. The worst is that his master has 

 to bear the blame, and is for ever getting into hot 

 water. Perhaps the business is settled by the dog 

 being stolen, if he is worth his salt. For dog- 

 stealing is a very lucrative trade, and professional 

 villains are up to all manner of dodges and devices. 

 They carry strong-smelling delicacies about with 

 them that no dog can resist ; they watch for their 

 opportunity at the corner of a lane, and, when you 

 look over your shoulder, your favourite is gone. 

 He is growling at the bottom of a sack, or in the 

 depths of a big pocket, with a strong hand pressed 

 upon his muzzle. Of course one is sorry for the 

 boy, but far more grieved for the dog. Did you 

 ever read ^'Tickler among the Thieves," by Dr. 

 John Brown, author of ^' Rab and his Friends." 

 If not, the sooner you get the book the better, 

 for Dr. Brown knew more about dogs than most 

 men. I don't mean about their breeds or their 

 ailments, but about the inner nature, which it 

 should be your pleasure to draw out. Tickler had 

 been petted and pampered, and the change to the 

 den of the thief, who punched his head and kept 

 him on coarse commons, nearly broke the heart of 

 the poor little fellow. That the story had a happy 

 ending, that Tickler was restored to the bosom 



