Having mentioned this cleanly dog, I must next introduce to you a canine
friend, called Master Rough, belonging to my kind next-door neighbours;
and I think you will acknowledge that he surpasses the other in the
propriety of his behaviour.
Master Rough is very small, and his name describes his appearance. As I
hear his voice, I might suppose him to be somewhat ill-natured, did I
not know that his bark is worse than his bite. He is only indignant at
being told by his mistress to do something he dislikes; but he does it
notwithstanding, though he has, it must be confessed, a will of his own,
like some young folks. He does not often soil his dainty feet by going
out into the muddy road; but when he does, on his return he carefully
wipes them on the door-mat.
At meal-times he goes to a cupboard, in which is kept a bowl and napkin
for his especial use. The napkin he first spreads on the carpet, and
then placing the bowl in the centre, barks to give notice that his table
is ready. After this, he sits down and waits patiently till his dinner
is put into the bowl, on which he falls to and gobbles it up,--the
table-cloth preventing any of the bits which tumble over from soiling
the carpet. It has been asserted that he wipes his mouth afterwards in
the napkin; but I suspect that he is merely picking up the bits outside.
I am sorry to say that he forgets to fold up his table-cloth neatly and
to put it away, which he certainly should do; nor can he be persuaded to
wash out his bowl, though he does not object to lick it clean. People
and dogs, however, have different ways of doing things, and Master Rough
chooses to follow his way, and is perfectly satisfied with himself--like
some young folks, who may not, however, be right for all that.
His principal other accomplishment is to carry up the newspaper, after
it has been read by the gentleman downstairs, to his mistress in the
drawing-room, when he receives a cake as his reward. He also may be
seen carrying a basket after his mistress, with a biscuit in it, which
he knows will be his in due time; but that if he misbehaves himself by
gobbling it greedily up--as he has sometimes done, I hear--he will have
to carry the basket without the biscuit; so having learned wisdom from
experience, he now patiently waits till it is given to him.
If Master Rough is not so clever as some dogs I have to tell you about,
he does his best in most respects; and I am very sure that no thief
would venture to break into the house in which he keeps watch: so that
he makes himself--what all boys and girls should strive to be--very
useful.