gurd sprang out
before the horse had stopped and tore up with a special squeal of
filial devotion to greet his sire, Ralph the Magnificent, who was
barely restrained by a circle of strenuous hands on his collar from
hurling himself in fury on this most obnoxious of his sons. Dora
trotted up and sniffed at him with coquettish curiosity, as if
wondering who this golden young gallant might be, but her bearing could
by no stretch of language by styled maternal. Gunnar, a puppy with
every mark of high descent, now installed on the estate as crown
prince, was so infected by his father's rage that they both had to be
shut up during our stay. Sigurd pranced rapturously all over the place,
visiting every scene of his childhood with the conspicuous exception of
the barn. He disdained to recognize the cows and gave but a
supercilious curl of his tail even to the most affable of the dairymen.
A cattle-dog, indeed! He invited himself to tea in the drawing-room and
had the further impertinence to take a snooze on Dora's own cushion,
close to the skirts of the Lady of Cedar Hill. She doubted whether he
would be willing to go back with us, but when the phaeton was driven to
the door, Sigurd rushed out to meet it and leapt into his place before
we had finished our more ceremonious farewells. We knew then that he
was really ours.

THE DOGS OF BETHLEHEM

Many a starry night had they known,
Melampo, Lupina and Cubil[=o]n,
Shepherd-dogs, keeping
The flocks, unsleeping,
Serving their masters for crust and bone.

Many a starlight but never like this,
For star on star was a chrysalis
Whence there went soaring
A winged, adoring
Splendor out-pouring a carol of bliss.

Sniffing and bristling the gaunt dogs stood,
Till the seraphs, who smiled at their hardihood,
Calmed their panic
With talismanic
Touches like wind in the underwood.

In the dust of the road like gold-dust blown,
Melampo, Lupina and Cubil[=o]n
Saw strange kings, faring
On camels, bearing
Treasures too bright for a mortal throne.

Shepherds three on their crooks a-leap
Sped after the kings up the rugged steep
To Bethlehem; only
The dogs, left lonely,
Stayed by the fold and guarded the sheep.

Faithful, grim hearts! The marvelous glow
Flooded e'en these with its overflow,
Wolfishness turning
Into