Antwan Humor. 265 
1876.] 
they seem to know that we like them; I have almost wondered 
if the genius of their race has not heard us quoting, “ I am the 
friend of dogs, for they are honest creatures.” However that 
may be, the bully dog approached us and looked as if claiming 
our approval of his conduct. To Dick this seemed sheer impu- 
dence, and an imposition on his master’s good nature which on 
his part should not be allowed to go unpunished. The bully dog 
was the larger, and stood his ground well for a few moments, 
but the punishment Dick administered was very severe, and Sir 
Lofty withdrew in a very humble mood. Our efforts to take 
Dick off were of no avail. He would never leave a job unfin- 
ished. To our astonishment and disgust we heard the compli- 
ment from the crowd, “ Good for the little Dominie in black ! ” 
Now, as the words dominie and clergyman are in these parts con- 
vertible terms, the minister naturally felt this to be a slur of an 
unpleasant personal character. 
With all his accomplishments, Dick is quite a young dog, but 
at an early age he gave us a manifestation of a very touching 
nature ; if it had been in a child it would have been called filial ; 
such as know the least about it will, as is the wont, probably call 
it instinct. The dog had been engaged in a very hearty, rough- 
and-tumble game with our youngest boy, on the kitchen floor ; 
this gave Dick a decided advantage, and he made the best of it. 
At this juncture, old Maje, blind and decrepit with age, began 
whining at the door to go out for his daily airing. The day was 
very cold, and the ground white with the first decisive snow of 
winter, All this Dick knew, as he had been out that day, but 
old Maje, who was stone-blind and nearly deaf, was ignorant of 
the situation. Dick at once stopped his fun and went out with 
the old dog. The poor old beast was on a call of nature; Dick 
understood it all, and by certain pushes and other little canny 
devices got the old fellow to a proper place. Returning, he con- 
tinued the same kind offices, taking care to get so beside the 
blind dog as to prevent his passing the door. Now just think 
of all this. The new snow had put the blind dog at a disad- 
vantage by rendering the faculty of scent of small avail. All 
this the young dog comprehended; and then he did not wait 
for the old dog to make known his wants by a cry or otherwise, 
ut actually and promptly anticipated them. Allowing the dog- 
min to have worked as would the man-mind, — and what other 
Way in this case is supposable ?— then are there not some fine 
Ponts in this benevolence of the young dog? We may men- 
