ing to run for the
doctor at twelve. When they returned together, our friend was gone. It
was the medical gentleman who informed me of his decease. He did it with
caution and delicacy, preparing me by the remark that 'a jolly queer
start had taken place.' I am not wholly free from suspicions of poison.
A malicious butcher has been heard to say that he would 'do' for him.
His plea was that he would not be molested in taking orders down the mews
by any bird that wore a tail. Were they ravens who took manna to
somebody in the wilderness? At times I hope they were, and at others I
fear they were not, or they would certainly have stolen it by the way.
Kate is as well as can be expected. The children seem rather glad of it.
He bit their ankles, but that was in play." As my father was writing
"Barnaby Rudge" at this time, and wished to continue his study of raven
nature, another and a larger "Grip" took the place of "our friend" but it
was he whose talking tricks and comical ways gave my father the idea of
making a raven one of the characters in this book. My father's fondness
for "Grip" was, however, never transferred to any other raven, and none
of us ever forgave the butcher whom we all held in some way responsible
for his untimely taking off.

But I think his strongest love, among animals, was for dogs. I find a
delightful anecdote told by him of a dog belonging to a lady whom he knew
well, "Of," an immense, black, good-humored, Newfoundland dog. He came
from Oxford and had lived all his life in a brewery. Instructions were
given with him that if he were let out every morning alone he would
immediately find out the river, regularly take a swim and come gravely
home again. This he did with the greatest punctuality, but after a
little while was observed to smell of beer. His owner was so sure that
he smelled of beer that she resolved to watch him. He was seen to come
back from his swim round the usual corner and to go up a flight of steps
into a beer shop. Being instantly followed, the beer shopkeeper is seen
to take down a pot (pewter pot) and is heard to say: "Well, old chap,
come for your beer as usual, have you?" Upon which he draws a pint and
puts it down and the dog drinks it. Being required to explain how this
comes to pass the man says: "Yes, ma'am. I know he's your dog, ma'am,
but I didn't when he first came. He looked in, ma'am, as a brick-maker
might, and then he come in, as a brickmaker might,