Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1871 — Beecher’s Dog Story. [ARTICLE]

Beecher’s Dog Story.

VTe know it is beneath the dignity appropriate to these editorial columns to tell a .dog story in them—a dog story with not eve .a moral attached. But after grappling with a six-column article in the vain attempt to get its pith into half a column (the truit of which labor is delayed by an accident tili next week), we are going to refresh bur minds, if-not our readers’, by Telling a dog story, pure and simple. W.e prote st in advance against any attempt by Mr. Darwin, his friends or his foes, to ded.ice from it that dogs can or cannot reason or to prove anything whatever. Now for the dogs—as to the veracity of the tale we personally vouch. A narrow log lay as_a bridge over a ravine. From*the opposite ends of the log, at the same itioment, there staited to cross it a big Newfoundland and a little Italian greyhound. Of course they met in tufe middle; cf course there waß not room for them them to pass; neither could they go back. The height was a dangerous one "to the g/eyhound, and to the water atrthe bottom he was extremely averse. The Newfoundland could have taken the leap in safety, but evidently did not want to. There was a fix! The little dog sat down on his haunches, stuck his nose straight in the air, and howled. The Newfoundland stood intent, lm face solemn with inward workings. Presently, he gave a nudge with his nose to the howling greyhound, as if to say, “ Be still, youngster and listen.” Then there was silence and seeming confabulation for a second or two. Immediately the big dog spread his legs wide apart, like a Colossus, bestriding the log on its extreme outer edges, and balancing himself carefully. The little dog sprang through the opening like a flash. When they reached the opposite shores the little greyhound broke into frantic gambols of delight, and the Newfoundland, after his more sedate fashion, expressed great complacency in his achievement, as he surely had a right to do.—Christian Union.