ation. Once, indeed, he was seriously
hurt by the wilful inattention of his guide; for, tottering along as
usual, one fine morning with his staff in one hand, the string attached
to the dog's collar in the other, and his head with the sightless
eyes raised sadly in the air, whilst he uttered his plaintive cry of
"Have pity on the poor blind!" the last word was suddenly converted from
a doleful whine to a howl of pain as his body came in contact with a
post which stood right across his path. Time, which cures all things,
brought at last an effectual remedy to his sufferings, and that remedy
was Death! Ere that great foe or friend relieved poor Bruin, he had
learnt to be repentant of his former life, and was often known to
reprove in others any tendency to those faults of temper or disposition
which had been his own ruin. If he could have recovered the use of his
eyes and have mingled once more with the business of life, it is a
question whether he would have acted up to the precepts which he now
inculcated; but as the experiment was never tried, nor could be, it is
but charitable to think the best.

[Illustration: THE LAST LEAD.]

Months after he had departed this sinful world, a sturdy traveller, with
a particularly wide mouth and short address, entered the city of
Caneville. He stated that he was a native of the place, and had been
wandering far away in other lands. He made various inquiries concerning
former inhabitants of the town, and among others asked for Bruin. His
life, much as I have recounted it, was told to him, and long did the
stranger ruminate over the details. Many portions of it were, indeed,
known to him, for the traveller was no other than our old acquaintance
Tom; but all was interesting. When he had heard it to the end, he
uttered these only words, which might, indeed, serve for moral and poor
Bruin's epitaph:--

"Ah! he was a Great Bear!"

[Illustration]

London:--Printed by G. BARCLAY, Castle St. Leicester Sq.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Adventures of a Bear, by Alfred Elwes

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