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 poodle, I grew deathly pale, I trembled from head to foot, and almost fainted for fear. Still I can hardly call it fear, for it was more a kind of loathsomeness, that made me thoroughly sick, than any apprehension of danger.

I have been told that my mother—during her pregnancy—had been frightened by a poodle that my aunt had at that time, and that died shortly afterwards,—still can such a circumstance have produced so great an impression on the fœtus in the earlier stages of gestation? And yet I cannot explain this infirmity of mine otherwise, for neither my father nor my mother had any dread of this particular race of dogs.

As I grew older I tried to reason myself out of this dislike and I have almost succeeded in overcoming it ; now I can even bear the sight of one of these canine clowns, provided they do not come unexpectedly bouncing upon me, which they do so very often.

I have very few recollectious of those early years, and those I have are hardly worth recording. Still it is astounding how some 103