4. Or a heath-bird, that lies on the Cheviot moor, Perchance thou would'st dwell by some bold bǎron's hall; 6. Or a linnet, who builds in the close hawthorn bough, The true home of spring and spring flowers to discover; Who, go where he will, takes away on his wings Good words from mankind for the bright thoughts he brings? 8. But what! can these pictures of strange winged mirth Make the child to forget that she walks on the earth? 2 Cěl'an dine, a plant belonging to the poppy family. 'Ox-lip, a plant; the great cow slip. Dost thou feel at thy sides as though wings were to start From some place where they lie folded up in thy heart? 9. Then love the green things in thy first simple youth, The beasts, birds, and fishes, with heart and in truth, And fancy shall pay thee thy love back in skill; Thou shalt be all the birds of the air at thy will. F. W. FABER.1 V SECTION VII. I. 23. THE FRENCHMAN'S DOG. VOLUMES could be filled with anecdotes 2 of the mutual attachment of men and dogs; and we are of opinion that the affection in such cases is very much mōre noble and generous than is usually supposed. No person, probably, can have any proper idēȧ of this tendernèss of feeling, who has not kept a favorite dog. 4 2. Courage, watchfulnèss, fidělity 3—many of the best qualities that awaken respect, admiration, and love, among human beings are possessed to a wonderful extent by dogs. There seems to be a sort of humanity in them. In their love for man, they play a part in nearly every tragedy.5 A modern novelist, describing a murdered man, adds, with râre power of picture-words: "The full, sweet light of the summer-day fell into the chamber of the dead, where they had laid him down, and left him in the deep stillnèss that no footfall stirred, no voice distûrbed, and no love watched, save that of a little 1 Frederick William Faber, an English convert to the Catholic faith, born June 28, 1815: died Sept. 26, 1863. He was ordained a priest, and entered the English congregration of St. Philip Neri, known as the Oratorian Fathers. He is the author of a series of very widely circulated devotional works, and has also a deservedly high reputation as a poet. 2 An'ec dōte, a particular fact or single passage of private life of an interesting nature; a short story. 3 3 Fĭ děl'i ty, loyalty; faithfulness. 4Hu măn’ity, the nature peculiar to man ; kindness. 5 Trǎg'e dy, a poem prepared for the stage, representing some action having a fatal and mournful end; any event in which human lives are lost by human violence. spaniel,1 which had crept into his breast, and flew at those who sought to move her from her vigil,2 and erouched there, trembling and moaning piteously." 3. We believe, that, among the different varieties of dogs, the small spaniel kind is the most affectionate; but probably we are led to entertain this notion from an acquaintanceship with the character of our own favorite Fiddy-a small spaniel, of joyous and intelligent character, and possessing boundless attachment to persons about her. An anecdote is told of a small dog of this variety which does not appear to us to be in any respect incredible.3 4. During the Reign of Terror in Frånce, a gentleman in one of the northern departments was accused of conspiring against the republic, and sent to Paris, to appear befōre the revolutionary tribūnal. His dog was with him when he was seized, and was allowed to accompany him, but, on arriving in the capital, was refused admission to the prison of his master.5 The distress was mutual: the gentleman sorrowed for the loss of the society of his dog; the dog pined to get admission to the prison. 5. Living only on scraps of food picked up in the neighborhood, the poor dog spent most of his time near the door of the prison, into which he made repeated attempts to gain admittance. Such unremitting fidělity at length melted the feelings of the pōrter, and the dog was allowed to enter. His joy at seeing his master was unbounded; that of his master, on seeing his dog, was not less. 6. It was difficult to separate them; but the jailer, fearing for himself, carried the dog out of the prison. Every day, however, at a certain hour, he was allowed to repeat his visit. At these interviews, the affectionate animal licked the hands and face of his måster; looked at him again; again licked his hands, and whined his delight. After a few mornings, feeling assured of re-admission, he departed at the call of the jailer. 7. The day came when the unfortunate captive was taken before the tribunal; and, to the surprise of the court, there also 1 1 Spaniel (spǎn'yĕl). 2 Vig'il, the act of keeping awake; watch. 3 In crěd'i ble, not possible to be credited or believed. 4 Tri bū'nal, the seat of a judge; hence, a court of justice. 5 Master (mås'ter). was the dog. It had followed its master into the hall, and clung to him, as if to protect him from injury. One would naturally imagine that the spectacle1 of so much affection would have moved the judges, and induced them to be merciful. But this was a period in which ordinary feelings were reversed, and men acted in the spirit of maniacs or demons. 3 5 8. Will it be credited ?-the prisoner, accused only of being an aristocrat, was doomed to be guillotined; and, in pronouncing sentence, the judge added, partly in jest and partly in earnest, that his dog might go with him! The condemned man and his humble companion were conducted back to prison. What were the mental sufferings of the unhappy gentleman it is needless to inquire; the dog was happily unconscious of the approaching tragedy. 6 9. Morning dawned; the hour of execution arrived; and the prisoner, with other victims of revolutionary vengeance, went fōrth to the scaffold. One last caress was permitted; next minute the ax fell, and severed the head of the poor gentleman from his body. His dog saw the bloody deed perpetrated,10 and was frantic with grief. He followed the mangled corpse of his måster to the grave. No persuasions could induce 11 him to leave the spot. Night and day he lay on the bâre ground. Food was offered, but he would not eat. 10. If a dog's heart could be broken, the heart of this one surely was. Day by day his body grew thinner, his eye mōre glassy. Occasionally he uttered low, moaning sounds. They 1 Spěc'ta cle, something presented to view; usually, a remarkable sight. 2 Ma'ni ǎc, a madman. 3 Dē'mon, a spirit holding a middle place between men and the gods of the pagans; an evil spirit; a devil. 4 A ris'to crǎt, one who favors, in principle or practice, a form of government whose power is vested in the chief persons of a state; one who is haughty, proud, or overbearing in his temper or habits. 5 Guillotined (gil' lō tēnd'), beheaded with the guillotine, a machine in which a heavy ax is raised by means of a cord, and let fall upon the neck of the victim. 6 Un con'scious, not knowing. 7 Věn'geance, passionate or unrestrained revenge. 8 Scăf'fōld, an elevated platform for the execution of a criminal. 9 Sěv'er ed, cut apart; divided. 10 Per'pe trate, to perform a base action. 11In duce', prevail on. were the expiring efforts of nature. One morning he was found, stretched lifeless on the earth. Death had kindly put an end to his sufferings. M II. 24. LEWIS AND HIS DOG. ASTER JOHN had come to sail a little boat which his grandfather had given him: the string by which the length of its voyage was to have been regulated had broken, and the boat had drifted farther and farther from its håplèss owner, until at låst it had reached a species of buoy1 to which the park-keeper's punt2 was occasionally moored, and there it had chosen to stick hard and fåst. In this rebellious little craft was embarked, so to speak, all Måster John's present stock of earthly happiness; thence the sorrow which Mary's caresses were unable to assuage, and thence the lamentations which had attracted Lewis's attention. 2. "Don't cry so, my little man, and we'll see if we can't find a way of getting it for you," observed Lewis, encouragingly, raising the distressed ship-owner in his arms, to afford him a better view of his stranded property. "We must ask my dog to go and fetch it for us. Come here, Mr. Faust! You are not afraid of him? he wouldn't hûrt you; that's right, pat him-there's a brave boy. Now, ask him to fetch your boat for you: Say 'Please, Mr. Faust, go and get my boat'—say so." 3. And the child-hälf-pleased, half-frightened, but with implicit faith in the dog's intellectual powers, and the advisability of conciliating its good-will and implōring its assistance repeated the desired formula with great fervor." "That's well! Now, nûrse, take câre of Måster-what did you 1 Buoy (bwai), a float; a floating mark to point out the position of objects beneath the water. ? Pǎnt, a flat-bottomed boat. Lăm'en ta'tion, the act of bewailing; expression of sorrow. 4 Can't (känt). trusting fully to another's word, power, or authority; entire. 6 Formula (fôr'mu lå), a set rule or form; a fixed method in which anything is to be arranged, done, said, or the like. 'Fer'vor, heat; very great feel " Im plic'it, resting on another; ing. |