owest the mischief thou hast done."
Again, it was a spaniel whom Elizabeth Barrett Browning cherished as
the companion of weary hours of illness and confinement. The charming
verses to Flush celebrate the dog's beauty and affection.

The history of our picture illustrates Landseer's remarkable facility
of workmanship. After making the first sketch at Mr. Vernon's house in
Pall Mall, the painter was for a long time too busy to do any further
work upon it. One day artist and patron chanced to meet upon the
street, and the former was reminded of his promise. The sketch was
taken out and, two days later, the finished painting was delivered to
the owner. The picture lost nothing, however, by the haste with which
it was executed. A competent critic (Cosmo Monkhouse) has said that
Landseer never excelled it as a piece of painting. Much praise has
been bestowed upon the few dexterous strokes which have so perfectly
reproduced the texture of the plume on the hat. Even in the black and
white reproduction we can appreciate some of the best points of the
picture.

II

SHOEING

At the blacksmith's shop the bay mare Betty is being fitted to new
shoes. Already the fore feet are nicely shod and the blacksmith now
has the near hind foot in hand. The other occupants of the place are a
small donkey and the bloodhound Laura.

Betty is a sensible horse and enjoys the shoeing process. When the
time comes around for her regular visit to the forge, she walks off of
her own accord and unattended to the familiar spot. No halter is
necessary to keep her standing; in fact, she would not tolerate such
an indignity. She takes her place by the window as if perfectly at
home.

Blacksmith and horse are old friends who understand each other well.
The man has won the animal's confidence by the care he has taken to
fit the shoes comfortably. Though a plain, rough fellow, he is of a
kindly nature and knows his business thoroughly.

The shop is a quaint little place such as one finds in English
villages. The thick masonry of the walls shows how old the building
is; the floor is paved with large blocks of stone. Between the anvil
and the forge there is only space enough for the horse to stand. Yet
all the necessary tools are at hand, and a good blacksmith may shoe a
horse as well here as in the most elaborate city establishment.

At this stage of the process the preparations are all over. The old
shoes were first removed and the feet pared