he question to think of turning
him out again. I was not afraid that I might be robbing anybody, for he
was the kind of dog that very few persons care to have. He was
dirty-yellow in color, very lank of body, and he seemed to be made up of
ill-assorted parts of different kinds of dogs. His legs, particularly,
seemed intended for some other dog and acted as if they never would
become reconciled to carrying the queer body to which they were joined.

I should have preferred a handsome dog, but since I had no choice, I
determined to do my duty by the little outcast, and to give him such an
education that in the beauties of his mind the ugliness of his body
would be overlooked.

The first thing needed for him was a name; and I tried to think of
something appropriate, but soon gave it up, and in default of a better
title called him Bob. To teach him the name was easy. I merely called
out the word "Bob!" every time I fed him. As it was important that he
should learn to look to me as the source of all his happiness and
instruction, I permitted no one else to feed him. It took him about a
week to learn his name, and to recognize the fact that all the
blandishments he could lavish on the cook would be of no avail, and that
his only hope was in me.

At the very outset, I had made up my mind that under no circumstances
should he receive angry words or blows. He was a broken-spirited,
affectionate little puppy, and I was resolved that if there was no way
of teaching him except by brutality, he should remain ignorant all his
life. The abject way in which, to this day, he runs from a child makes
me feel sad. I fancy that much of his early life was spent in dodging
stones or snow-balls thrown by boys--not cruel, but thoughtless boys.

It was necessary to control him, and I quickly discovered an easy way.
He was such a sensitive little fellow that when he once learned to love
me, he seemed to know by the tones of my voice whether I was pleased
with him, and to have me pleased seemed to be the one object of his
life. Therefore, if I saw him doing anything wrong, I had only to say
sharply and firmly, "No, Bob!" and down would go the tail and ears, and
he would slink shame-facedly to his special corner and from there watch
me until I would call him to me and pat his head.

After a while, a quiet "No, Bob!" would effect the same result. This was
a great victory, and made most of the subsequent teaching merely a
matter of patience.

T