[Illustration: 9093]
KIND lady and dear friend of Toots and his mother owns a bright little
dog named Benjamina. Its mother was blind and lame when the little puppy
was born, and the good lady thought it was the child of the dog mother's
old age; so she called it Benjamina, and a very cunning, wise little
creature she is.
Benjamina likes to curl up on a sofa pillow and take life easy. Nearly
every day she takes a walk with her mistress and frisks about here and
there. Once when they were out walking, naughty Bennie ran too near the
horse car and was kicked by one of the horses. She lay quite still for
a moment, and all who saw her feared she was dead. Before any one could
reach her, a large, strong dog who belonged to a neighbor sprang across
the street and carried her to her mistress. Poor doggie had a bad cut
in her side which the doctor sewed up, and it was so very sore that she
could not lie down for many days. It was quite pitiful to see it walk
around and around in a circle, trying to go to sleep. Old Major came
every day to see her, and when he was allowed to come into the room he
would sit down gravely and look at her. He evidently wanted to say, "I
am very, very sorry for you and shall be glad to see you out again."
[Illustration: 0094]
After a time poor Benjamina grew well enough to sit in a chair at the
window, and Major would sit outside on the piazza and look at her. They
really seemed to understand each other perfectly. If anything went wrong
in the street Major would run down the steps and attend to it, and then
come back to his station before the window. At last Bennie was taken
out for a drive and Major ran all the way by the side of the carriage,
barking with pleasure.
Once Bennie's mistress found a large bone put on her piazza, which Major
had brought for his friend's breakfast, and great was the good fellow's
delight when it was carried to Bennie.
Major went to church every Sunday and sat in the porch until his master
came out; he tried very hard to go inside but was never allowed to do
so. When the sexton went out to open the doors Major would shake himself
and take his position on the steps. Once he came on Sunday and tried to
coax Bennie out, but her mistress said no. When I last saw Bennie she
was sitting in her mistress' lap while she wrote some letters. Major is
still the same faithful friend and visits her every day.