CHAPTERI
MyfatherwasaSt.Bernard，mymotherwasacollie，butIamaPresbyterian.Thisiswhatmymothertoldme，Idonotknowthesenicedistinctionsmyself.Tometheyareonlyfinelargewordsmeaningnothing.Mymotherhadafondnessforsuch;shelikedtosaythem，andseeotherdogslooksurprisedandenvious，aswonderinghowshegotsomucheducation.But，indeed，itwasnotrealeducation;itwasonlyshow：shegotthewordsbylisteninginthedining—roomanddrawing—roomwhentherewascompany，andbygoingwiththechildrentoSunday—schoolandlisteningthere;andwheneversheheardalargewordshesaiditovertoherselfmanytimes，andsowasabletokeepituntiltherewasadogmaticgatheringintheneighborhood，thenshewouldgetitoff，andsurpriseanddistressthemall，frompocket—puptomastiff，whichrewardedherforallhertrouble.Iftherewasastrangerhewasnearlysuretobesuspicious，andwhenhegothisbreathagainhewouldaskherwhatitmeant.Andshealwaystoldhim.Hewasneverexpectingthisbutthoughthewouldcatchher;sowhenshetoldhim，hewastheonethatlookedashamed，whereashehadthoughtitwasgoingtobeshe.Theotherswerealwayswaitingforthis，andgladofitandproudofher，fortheyknewwhatwasgoingtohappen，becausetheyhadhadexperience.
Whenshetoldthemeaningofabigwordtheywereallsotakenupwithadmirationthatitneveroccurredtoanydogtodoubtifitwastherightone;andthatwasnatural，because，foronething，sheansweredupsopromptlythatitseemedlikeadictionaryspeaking，andforanotherthing，wherecouldtheyfindoutwhetheritwasrightornot？forshewastheonlycultivateddogtherewas.Byandby，whenIwasolder，shebroughthomethewordUnintellectual，onetime，andworkeditprettyhardalltheweekatdifferentgatherings，makingmuchunhappinessanddespondency;anditwasatthistimethatInoticedthatduringthatweekshewasaskedforthemeaningateightdifferentassemblages，andflashedoutafreshdefinitioneverytime，whichshowedmethatshehadmorepresenceofmindthanculture，thoughIsaidnothing，ofcourse.Shehadonewordwhichshealwayskeptonhand，andready，likealife—preserver，akindofemergencywordtostraponwhenshewaslikelytogetwashedoverboardinasuddenway——thatwasthewordSynonymous.Whenshehappenedtofetchoutalongwordwhichhadhaditsdayweeksbeforeanditspreparedmeaningsgonetoherdump—pile，iftherewasastrangerthereofcourseitknockedhimgroggyforacoupleofminutes，thenhewouldcometo，andbythattimeshewouldbeawaydownwindonanothertack，andnotexpectinganything;sowhenhe\'dhailandaskhertocashin，I（theonlydogontheinsideofhergame）couldseehercanvasflickeramoment——butonlyjustamoment——thenitwouldbellyouttautandfull，andshewouldsay，ascalmasasummer\'sday，\"It\'ssynonymouswithsupererogation，\"orsomegodlesslongreptileofawordlikethat，andgoplacidlyaboutandskimawayonthenexttack，perfectlycomfortable，youknow，andleavethatstrangerlookingprofaneandembarrassed，andtheinitiatedslattingthefloorwiththeirtailsinunisonandtheirfacestransfiguredwithaholyjoy.
Anditwasthesamewithphrases.Shewoulddraghomeawholephrase，ifithadagrandsound，andplayitsixnightsandtwomatinees，andexplainitanewwayeverytime——whichshehadto，forallshecaredforwasthephrase;shewasn\'tinterestedinwhatitmeant，andknewthosedogshadn\'twitenoughtocatchher，anyway.Yes，shewasadaisy！Shegotsoshewasn\'tafraidofanything，shehadsuchconfidenceintheignoranceofthosecreatures.Sheevenbroughtanecdotesthatshehadheardthefamilyandthedinner—guestslaughandshoutover;andasaruleshegotthenubofonechestnuthitchedontoanotherchestnut，where，ofcourse，itdidn\'tfitandhadn\'tanypoint;andwhenshedeliveredthenubshefelloverandrolledonthefloorandlaughedandbarkedinthemostinsaneway，whileIcouldseethatshewaswonderingtoherselfwhyitdidn\'tseemasfunnyasitdidwhenshefirstheardit.
Butnoharmwasdone;theothersrolledandbarkedtoo，privatelyashamedofthemselvesfornotseeingthepoint，andneversuspectingthatthefaultwasnotwiththemandtherewasn\'tanytosee.
Youcanseebythesethingsthatshewasofarathervainandfrivolouscharacter;still，shehadvirtues，andenoughtomakeup，Ithink.Shehadakindheartandgentleways，andneverharboredresentmentsforinjuriesdoneher，butputthemeasilyoutofhermindandforgotthem;
andshetaughtherchildrenherkindlyway，andfromherwelearnedalsotobebraveandpromptintimeofdanger，andnottorunaway，butfacetheperilthatthreatenedfriendorstranger，andhelphimthebestwecouldwithoutstoppingtothinkwhatthecostmightbetous.Andshetaughtusnotbywordsonly，butbyexample，andthatisthebestwayandthesurestandthemostlasting.Why，thebravethingsshedid，thesplendidthings！shewasjustasoldier;andsomodestaboutit——well，youcouldn\'thelpadmiringher，andyoucouldn\'thelpimitatingher;notevenaKingCharlesspanielcouldremainentirelydespicableinhersociety.So，asyousee，therewasmoretoherthanhereducation.
CHAPTERII
WhenIwaswellgrown，atlast，Iwassoldandtakenaway，andIneversawheragain.Shewasbroken—hearted，andsowasI，andwecried;butshecomfortedmeaswellasshecould，andsaidweweresentintothisworldforawiseandgoodpurpose，andmustdoourdutieswithoutrepining，takeourlifeaswemightfindit，liveitforthebestgoodofothers，andnevermindabouttheresults;theywerenotouraffair.Shesaidmenwhodidlikethiswouldhaveanobleandbeautifulrewardbyandbyinanotherworld，andalthoughweanimalswouldnotgothere，todowellandrightwithoutrewardwouldgivetoourbrieflivesaworthinessanddignitywhichinitselfwouldbeareward.ShehadgatheredthesethingsfromtimetotimewhenshehadgonetotheSunday—schoolwiththechildren，andhadlaidthemupinhermemorymorecarefullythanshehaddonewiththoseotherwordsandphrases;andshehadstudiedthemdeeply，forhergoodandours.Onemayseebythisthatshehadawiseandthoughtfulhead，foralltherewassomuchlightnessandvanityinit.
Sowesaidourfarewells，andlookedourlastuponeachotherthroughourtears;andthelastthingshesaid——keepingitforthelasttomakemerememberitthebetter，Ithink——was，\"Inmemoryofme，whenthereisatimeofdangertoanotherdonotthinkofyourself，thinkofyourmother，anddoasshewoulddo.\"
DoyouthinkIcouldforgetthat？No.
