190 CUR-BAPTISM. [PART II. 
timacy, to the lower regions, and in due course 
of time subsided into a vulgar good-tempered 
kitchen cat, in which capacity I believe she still 
survives. 
Having alluded to my little dog “Crick,” I 
cannot refrain, before taking leave of him here, 
from mentioning the original method in which 
he used to resent the impertinences of a small 
cur, which was continually insulting his dignity 
by running up and barking at him. When this 
happened Crick used to “go in” at the offender, 
as if determined to chastise him, which he would 
perhaps have done, had not the other at once 
cried “peccavi,” and deprecated his wrath by 
lying down crouching on his back. I have heard 
of a big dog under similar circumstances taking 
up the small one, and dropping him into a dirty 
puddle; but Crick, instead of total immersion, 
adopted another kind of baptism, the appliances 
for which were always at hand, and which cer- 
tainly served in a most unmistakable way to ex- 
press his utter contempt for his tormentor ; walk- 
ing off after it, back up and muscles all rigid, 
without deigning another glance at his prostrate 
victim. I have seen this happen over and over 
again. 
