244 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



liberties with his tail or ears. Naturally his tem})er 

 was not amiable, but he had it so completely imder 

 control that even when a baby buried its fists in the 

 tenderest parts of his furry coat, or when a servant 

 trod upon his toes, he was never known to do more 

 than remonstrate by a howl, or an exhibition of his 

 ivory. Self-control was the leading feature of his 

 young master's character, and Slop had not been our 

 brother's intimate associate without benefiting by his 

 example. So completely did he idolise that friend and 

 master, that no one else got any notice from Slop 

 when his idol was by. But his master was away 

 from home for a great part of each year, and in his 

 absence Slop consoled himself after a fashion with the 

 family in general. He knew days before his master 

 left that he meant to go, and would mope over the 

 impending calamity with resigned pathetic sorrow. 

 "Whether his mind could comprehend that beyond the 

 period of separation lay the prospect of reunion I cannot 

 tell. His master evidently believed that Slop could 

 be comforted by such a thought, for when he " crept 

 to knee" and looked sadly, tenderly, beseechingly in 

 the loved face, Yetta would stroke the brown head 

 and say, " Never mind, Mordie, good dog ; I'll be back 

 next spring;" and the eye would brighten and the 

 expressive tail would beat a response upon the carpet. 

 But when our brother was gone, oh ! the sorrow- 

 ful hours Slop spent under the big arm-chair in the 

 comer ! Had he exhibited temper or sulks we would 

 not have minded, but his submissive grief was most 



