A Dog Story

Dogs cannot laugh, except with their tails and then their laugh is a laugh of joy. I doubt the existence of a doggish senae of humor. But scorn and contempt they undoubtedly do feel - they show it to other dogs, and I believe that they must feel it for some men. At least I should not like to run the risk of losing the respect of a dog of any character. I should certainly see it in the contemptuous whisk of nis teil, and in the sidelong glance of his eye. The most supreme exhibition of contempt that I ever saw was from a dog of mine. He was a noble beast, large and beautifnl. His sire was an English bloodhound, his dam a 8t. Bernard mastiff. He was a fawn-colored brindle, and his ears were softer than the finest silk. He was so big that he could stand on allfours and take a roll with his mouth from the dining-table, and that he could spring up, put his paws on my shoulder, and look me in the face. And yet I had a little black-and-tan terrier that would bully dear old Thor - for so I named him - out of everything ; everything, that is, bnt bones, meatless bonea ; for that is a subject upon which no dog of any delicate aense of what is due to himseif will allow the least outside interference. But Thor loved Puck and would let the little rascal do almost what he liked ; and when his teasing and impudence reached a point that was intolerable, the grand old fellow, instead of taking his tormentor by the back of the neck and quietly dropping him somewhere out of the way, would meekly come and put up his great paw on my knee to beg me to go out and set matters straight. And yet for Puck he would fight anything; and many was the row into which he got by standing up for his quarrelsome little playfellow. One day I took Thor with me on a new walk, in the course of which we passed the gate of a farmer who had two ge pointer-dogs, who were very cross and quarrelsome, both with man and beasts ; even so much so that they attacked men that came to the gate. As we approached the gate, there they lay together outside of it upon the close green-sward that stretched into the road. At the sight of Thor they pricked up fchflir ears. roRe to their feet, and began to growl. Thor, trotting on ahead of me, turned liis head a moment, but kepi on Ma toot. As we drew near they orouohed together upontheir bellies,and began to move thns toward the middle of the road ; and when we were opposite their gate, with one yelping bark, they made a simultaneólas rush upon the stranger. Oh, Thor, Thor, did the spirit of Shakespeare enter into thee, that without even turning thy head again, thou heavedst up thy leg, like Crab's dog, and served those dogs as he served the gentlewoman's farthingale, and then joggedst on as if nothing had happened, leaving them to sneak back to their lair, with their tails between their legs, less in fear than astonishment, and thy delighted master to cleave the sky with laughter ? Verily, I think there be some human ours, who like to spring yelping upon a man merely beoause he is a stranger, whom it wouldbe well if somemastiff would treat somewhat after the same fashion. Thev deserve no more