THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

Stories about Dogs.

HEARD a dog story the

other day worth telling
again, from a young
friend of mine at Cro-
ton Falls. She says
: that not long ago, there
was a cat in the habit
of visiting her father’s
barn, and killing the
chickens. The cat became so trouble-
some, at last, that it was thought best
to kill him. So the gardener, with the
assistance of the large dog belonging in
the family, put. an end to the life of poor
Tabby. After the cat had been dead a
little while, the dog took him up, car-
ried him down to the Croton river,
which runs near the house, dug a grave
in the bank, and buried him.

A clergyman of my acquaintance,
whose head is beginning to be whitened
with age, says he does not recollect. but
one instance in his whole ministry, in
which, while performing his professional
duties, he felt more like laughing than
he did like praying ; and that. was while
he was trying to marry a couple. A
dog, belonging to the family in which
the wedding was to be celebrated, en-
tered the room where the guests were
assembled, just as he was commencing
the solemn exercises, and perched him-
self on the sofa, before which the couple
to be married were standing. There he
sat, looking as grave as a judge, while
the ceremony was going on, apparently
quite as much interested as any of the
party. The figure which the dog pre-
sented, while in this attitude, was ludi-
crous enough, according to the represen-
tation of the clergyman. It was almost

 

 

as much as he could do to: prevent a
pretty broad smile, when he looked at
this auditor, who, it would seem, was
allowed by the family to stay, for fear
that they would make more disturbance
in removing him, than he would make
if he remained. The clergyman pro-
ceeded. He came to the spot where
something like this was . said :—“ If

there is any person present who knows
any lawful reason why these parties
should not be united in holy wedlock,
he is requested to make it known, or
forever after hold his peace.” ‘Bow!
wow!’’ said the dog, ‘This was too
much for the parson. It. seemed that
the dog had come into the room, and
occupied that prominent position on pur-
pose to say, when the proper time should
come, that he opposed the marriage.
My friend says that he stumbled, after a
fashion, through the ceremony, so far as
to pronounce the couple husband and
wife; but he could not get any farther.
He could not pray, after such a scene as
that.

A young man, now residing in this
city, says that he once owned a dog,
named Ponto, who was very much at-
tached to him. His. master formerly
lived at some distance in the country ;
and the next morning after he came to
New York, the dog was left at his mas-
ter’s boarding-house, and not allowed to
follow him down town, to: his. place of
business, for fear he would. get lost, as.
he was not at all acquainted with the
city. After my friend had been an hour
at his store, who should walk in but
Ponto! He had escaped from the house,
and found his master, probably by scent,