There was no need for her to tell me the names. I knew by the smell. All
human beings have a strong smell to a dog, even though they mayn't
notice it themselves. Mrs. Morris never knew how she bothered me by
giving away Miss Laura's clothes to poor people. Once, I followed her
track all through the town, and at last found it was only a pair of her
boots on a ragged child in the gutter.
I must say a word about Billy's tail before I close this chapter. It is
the custom to cut the ends of fox terrier's tails, but leave their ears
untouched. Billy came to Miss Laura so young that his tail had not been
cut off, and she would not have it done.
One day Mr. Robinson came in to see him, and he said, "You have made a
fine-looking dog of him, but his appearance is ruined by the length of
his tail."
"Mr. Robinson," said Mrs. Morris, patting little Billy, who lay on her
lap, "don't you think that this little dog has a beautifully
proportioned body?"
"Yes, I do," said the gentleman. "His points are all correct, save that
one."
"But," she said, "if our Creator made that beautiful little body, don't
you think he is wise enough to know what length of tail would be in
proportion to it?"
Mr.
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