Page:My last friend, dog Dick (IA mylastfrienddogd00deam).pdf/41

Rh forced speechlessness," "the spasm of a soul compressed in a prison of bones and flesh that feels the mutilation of the ancient faculties," so he accounts for the dumbness of Dick. Has a dog ever been known plainly to enunciate words? I have read of one such instance in some newspaper. It certainly is not true that the dog confines his words to "bow wow," or "'woof, woof."

Every point, however, that De Amicis has made in the study of Dog Dick is well taken and worth studying, the strongest being—"Does he know the secret in my mind?" "He can understand. He does understand." Oh, what a climax is that!

What difference does it make whether a dog has a mind or not? What difference does it make whether a woman, or a man, or a child has a mind or not! The more mind, the less confusion, the greater happiness and the more truth, throughout the whole world. How many of us have seen a dog "reason it out alone?"

I once saw G. W. Cable standing on a corner shaking with laughter. Across the street from him, there paraded a much barbered Russian Poodle, a mane like a lion's, a shaven body, a