DOGS, AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. 361 



And to him I only had to say, " Don, please do this," 

 "Don't make so much noise, 1 * U I wish you would go 

 down after the mail," " Get your basket and go to the 

 meat-market," "Please open, or shut the door," and the 

 many tricks I taught him. And when I made these 

 requests an almost human look would spring into his 

 face, and as quick as they could be these things were 

 done. How that dog loved me ! I took him in his in- 

 fancy, his puppyhood. At that time he was but a little 

 roll of curly innocence. I was patient with him ; over- 

 looked his childish faults ; taught him I was his friend ; 

 from the hand of my wife and myself he received his 

 food, the embryonic seeds of kindness which we sowed 

 early, budded in his heart and blossomed into a love 

 that only his death severed. Severed ? Not with us, 

 simply with him ; for in our hearts no other dog can 

 take his place. Others may come and go, but none 

 can touch the tendrils of two responsive hearts as did 

 Don. It is twelve years since he died, but the passing 

 years do not lessen our love for him, but increases it ; 

 over our hall door his portrait in oil hangs, and greets 

 us every day with that same sweet, mild look he always 

 had for us when alive. And if, at this late day, my 

 wife and I talk of Don, and the intelligence he pos- 

 sessed, how he guarded her and the children, how, 

 when once I asked him to go with her one stormy 

 night, he went and would allow no one to come near 

 her ; how when she moved he was always at her side ; 

 and when she stepped out to sing he terrified the audi- 

 ence with his angry growl when some persons tried to 

 restrain him ; and then, while she sang, he obeyed the 

 wish of his master and lay at his mistress' feet and 

 guarded and protected her, and then saw her safely 



