om his master.

"About this time it happened that the landlord of the poor man went to
examine his estate in the country, and brought Jowler with him to the
place of his birth. At his arrival there he could not help viewing with
great contempt the rough ragged appearance of Keeper, and his awkward
look, which discovered nothing of the address for which he so much
admired Jowler. This opinion, however, was altered by means of an
accident which happened to him. As he was one day walking in a thick
wood, with no other company than the two dogs, a hungry wolf, with eyes
that sparkled like fire, bristling hair, and a horrid snarl that made
the gentleman tremble, rushed out of a neighbouring thicket, and seemed
ready to devour him. The unfortunate man gave himself over for lost,
more especially when he saw that his faithful Jowler, instead of coming
to his assistance, ran sneaking away, with his tail between his legs,
howling with fear. But in this moment of despair, the undaunted Keeper,
who had followed him, humbly and unobserved, at a distance, flew to his
assistance, and attacked the wolf with so much courage and skill, that
he was compelled to exert all his strength in his own defence. The
battle was long and bloody, but in the end Keeper laid the wolf dead at
his feet, though not without receiving several severe wounds himself,
and presenting a bloody and mangled spectacle to the eyes of his master,
who came up at that instant. The gentleman was filled with joy for his
escape and gratitude to his brave deliverer; and learned by his own
experience that appearances are not always to be trusted, and that great
virtues and good dispositions may sometimes be found in cottagers, while
they are totally wanting among the great."

"Very well indeed," said Mr Barlow. "I find that when young gentlemen
choose to take pains, they can do things almost as well as other people.
But what do you say to the story you have been reading, Tommy? Would you
rather have owned the genteel dog that left his master to be devoured,
or the poor, rough, ragged, meagre, neglected cur that exposed his own
life in his defence?" "Indeed, sir," said Tommy, "I would have rather
had Keeper; but then I would have fed him, and washed him, and combed
him, till he had looked as well as Jowler." "But then, perhaps, he would
have grown idle, and fat, and cowardly, like him," said Mr Barlow; "but
here is some more of it, let us read to the end of the story." Tommy