Dogs. 7 



But once, when I had been away for weeks, his melan- 

 choly longing, of which he had said nothing to anybody, 

 burst out in a great passionate crisis. He howled and 

 clamoured for admission into my dressing-room, pulled 

 down my old things from their pegs, dragged them into 

 a corner, and flung himself upon them, wailing long and 

 wildly where he lay, till a superstitious fear came on all 

 the house like the forerunner of evil tidings. Who can 

 tell what long broodings, unexpressed, had preceded this 

 passionate outburst .' Many a dark hour had he passed in 

 silent desolation, wondering at that inexplicable absence, 

 till at length the need for me became so urgent that he 

 must touch some cloth that I had worn. 



We know not the heart-memory which these animals 

 possess, the long-retaining, tender recollection, all bound 

 up with their love. A dog was bereaved of his master 

 and afterwards became old and blind, passing the dark 

 evening of his existence sadly in the same corner, which 

 he hardly ever quitted. One day came a step like that of 

 his lost master, and he suddenly left his place. The man 

 who had just entered wore ribbed stockings ; the old dog 

 had lost his scent and referred at once to the stockings 

 that he remembered, rubbing his face against them. Be- 

 lieving that his master had returned after those weary 

 years of absence, he gave way to the most extravagant 

 delight. The man spoke, the momentary illusion was dis- 

 pelled, the dog went sadly back to his place, lay wearily 

 down, and died. 



These little anecdotes, and there are many such, give us 

 glimpses of what is permanent in the canine heart. We 

 think that dogs are demonstrative, but they have regrets 

 of which they tell us nothing. It is Hkely that the old 

 blind dog, coiled up in his corner day and night, mourn- 



