134 MY EARLY FRIENDS.
of the dreary blank in the house and in my affections having
another, occupant, with the wholesome hope that I might take
to it and be comforted, though I did not forget Fido.
 I know I went in great glee, in the company of a sister a
little older than myself, to the village where we had heard of
a suitable dog for sale-indeed, I think we had gone and
inspected it previously-and where we were to pay down our
purchase-money-it was no more than five shillings-and re-
ceive our prize, which had belonged previously to a tradesman.
 The dog was a small black and white animal, with straight
sleek hair, and a pretty round face, set between pendant ears.
I was a timid child, and did not venture to lay hands on
our purchase while it was yet strange to us, and my sister
undertook to carry it home in her arms. On our way we
encountered a gentleman who was an acquaintance of the
family, and who, not understanding how we were situated,
insisted on shaking hands with us children. My sister was
compelled partly to let go her captive-it did not escape, it
only scrambled to her shoulder, from which she was unable
to dislodge it, and where, to our affront, it stood barking
wrathfully at the new-comer.
 The dog had been named Jessie Mackie," a very human
title, of which we did not approve for a dog, and so we called
her Rona," the name of a dog of a friend's friend. The
title struck our fancy, and we believed that it had belonged
originally to an island on the west coast of Scotland-rather a
dignified source for a name. But I cannot say that I ever
met any person who had visited the island of Rona, or who
could tell exactly whereabouts in the Atlantic-from wild St.
Kilda to wooded Rothesay-it was to be found.