Road-side Dog

"Iwentonajourneyinordertoacquaintmyselfwithmyprovince,inatwo-horsewagonwithalotoffodderandatinbucketrattlingintheback.Thebucketwasrequiredforthehorsestodrinkfrom.Itraveledthroughacountryofhillsandpinegrovesthatgavewaytowoodlands,whereswirlsofsmokehoveredovertheroofsofhouses,asiftheywereonfire,fortheywerechimneylesscabins;Icrosseddistrictsoffieldsandlakes.Itwassointerestingtobemoving,togivethehorsestheirrein,andwaituntil,inthenextvalley,avillageslowlyappeared,oraparkwiththewhitespotofamanorinit.Andalwayswewerebarkedatbyadog,assiduousinitsduty.Thatwasthebeginningofthecentury;thisisits.Ihavebeenthinkingnotonlyofthepeoplewholivedthereoncebutalsoofthegenerationsofdogsaccompanyingthemintheireverydaybustle,andonenight-Idon'tknowwhereitcamefrom-inapre-dawnsleep,thatfunnyandtenderphrasecomposeditself:aroad-sidedog."--"Road-SideDog"