THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE DOG.

The Dog, next to the human being, ranks highest in the scale ofintelligence, and was evidently designed to be the companion and thefriend of man. We exact the services of other animals, and, the taskbeing performed, we dismiss them to their accustomed food and rest; butseveral of the varieties of the dog follow us to our home; they areconnected with many of our pleasures and wants, and guard our sleepinghours.

The first animal of the domestication of which we have any account, wasthe sheep. "Abel was a keeper of sheep." [1] It is difficult to believethat any long time would pass before the dog--who now, in every countryof the world, is the companion of the shepherd, and the director orguardian of the sheep--would be enlisted in the service of man.

From the earliest known history he was the protector of the habitationof the human being. At the feet of the 'lares', those household deitieswho were supposed to protect the abodes of men, the figure of a barkingdog was often placed. In every age, and almost in every part of theglobe, he has played a principal part in the labours, the dangers, andthe pleasures of the chase.

In process of time, man began to surround himself with many servantsfrom among the lower animals, but among them all he had only onefriend--the dog; one animal only whose service was voluntary, and whowas susceptible of disinterested affection and gratitude. In everycountry, and in every time, there has existed between man and the dog aconnection different from that which is observed between him and anyother animal. The ox and the sheep submit to our control, but theiraffections are principally, if not solely, confined to themselves. Theysubmit to us, but they can rarely be said to love, or even to recogniseus, except as connected with the supply of their wants.

The horse will share some of our pleasures. He enjoys the chase as muchas does his rider; and, when contending for victory on the course, hefeels the full influence of emulation. Remembering the pleasure he hasexperienced with his master, or the daily supply of food from the handof the groom, he often exhibits evident tokens of recognition; but thatis founded on a selfish principle--he neighs that he may be fed, and hisaffections are easily transferred.

The dog is the only animal that is capable of disinterested affection.He is the only one that regards the human being as his companion, andfollows him as his friend; the only one that seems to possess a naturaldesire to be useful to him, or from a spontaneous impulse attacheshimself to man. We take the bridle from the mouth of the horse, and turnhim free into the pasture, and he testifies his joy in his partiallyrecovered liberty. We exact from the dog the service that is required ofhim, and he still follows us. He solicits to be continued as ourcompanion and our friend. Many an expressive action tells us how much heis pleased and thankful. He shares in our abundance, and he is contentwith the scantiest and most humble fare. He loves us while living, andhas been known to pine away on the grave of his master.

[It is stated that the favourite lap-dog of Mary, Queen of Scots, thataccompanied her to the scaffold, continued to caress the body after thehead was cut off, and refused to relinquish his post till forciblywithdrawn, and afterwards died with grief in the course of a day or two.