This familiar name recalls the delightful story of "Rab and his Friends"
in "Horæ Subsicivæ," with its naïve description of a very original
"tyke" of a doggie--a biography which had so lived in my recollection
that when a queer little fluffy dumpling of a puppy was given me I could
not help giving it the old familiar name, little knowing how aptly true
the name would prove to be in after years.
Is there anything more comical than a young Scotch terrier puppy, with
its preternatural gravity, its queer, ungainly attempts at play, its
tumbles, and blue-eyed simplicity, and, best of all, its sage look, with
head on one side, trying to consider the merits of some doggie idea
which is puzzling his infant brain? Rab went through all the stages of
puppyhood, showing the usual amount of mischief and fun; he might be met
carrying about some unfortunate slipper frayed to pieces by his busy
teeth, or burying a favourite bone under a wool mat in the drawing-room,
or, worse still, it is recorded in domestic chronicles that he buried a
hymn-book in the garden, whereupon the cook remarked that she believed
he had more religion in him than half the Christians; but that reasoning
was not apparent to any one but herself.
Rab's most notable adventures took place after he had emerged from
puppyhood. He had a most indomitable spirit of disobedience; he would
hunt rabbits or anything else he could find in the woods, and one day he
reached home with a snare tightly drawn round his neck, and panting
distressingly for breath; the wire was cut only just in time to save
his life.
Another time he was poisoned by something he had eaten, and had a long
suffering illness.
His fights with other dogs were fierce and frequent, and whilst engaged
in a scrimmage with a hated rival, Rab was run over by a passing cart,
and limped home in a very dejected state; no bones were broken, but he
was an invalid for some months in consequence.
At last it was thought needful to tie him up, and he had his appointed
house and a long chain, and with frequent exercise he became quite
content. One morning our brave little friend was found nearly dead, with
two terrible wounds in his neck, which must have been made by a sharp
knife, driven twice through his throat, but, strangely enough, had each
time just missed severing the wind-pipe. He had nearly died from loss of
blood, and was scarcely able to breathe; still, our kind servants did
not give him up; warm milk and beef tea were given him constantly
through the day; and by night he had revived a little, and was evidently
going to live. We could never trace the origin of this outrage, and
could only suppose that burglars had purposed breaking into our house,
and, enraged at Rab's barking, had at last got hold of, and, as they
thought, killed him, and flung the body into an adjoining field. Poor
little doggie! he suffered grievously for his brave defence, and for
months the wounds were a great distress to him and to us; but all that
loving care could do was done, and once more his wonderful constitution
enabled him to regain health and strength. We kept at that time several
very large mastiffs, and the next adventure occurred early one morning,
when we were aroused by a terrific noise in the stable-yard, and the
message brought to us was to the effect that Rab was quite dead. He had
been worried by one of the mastiffs which had got loose in the night. I
rose quickly and went to see the poor little victim's body, and looking
at it, I saw a little quiver in the eyelid that led to a gleam of hope.
I had him carried indoors, and again teaspoons of milk, &c., were given,
and actually he began to revive, and a feeble wag of his tail, seemed to
say, "I'm very bad, but not dead yet." The sad part was that the shaking
and worrying he had received had reopened the previous wounds, and
though after a time he was able to get about, he was quite a wreck; one
ear was gone, and the other, strange to say, was but a fragment, like
his namesake in "Rab and his Friends." Still, he lived to be nearly
fifteen, and then rheumatism and loss of teeth made his life a distress
to him, and he was peacefully dismissed to the rest he had bravely
earned by his life of courageous devotion to what he thought the path of
duty.
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