CHAPTER IV.
ATTACHMENT TO HOME.
"That's a real funny story," exclaimed Minnie, her eyes sparkling withmirth, "only I can't help pitying that poor man."
"I can recall another, though a sadder incident," continued Mr.Sullivan, "illustrating the same quality."
"In 1808, an accident happened in England to some sheep belonging toMr. Cooper, of Huilston Hall, who had intrusted them to the care of aboy for that day, in the absence of the shepherd, who was assisting ingetting in the harvest.
"About the middle of the day, the sheep broke from their pasture, whenthe thoughtless boy drove them back in great haste over a narrow anddeep ditch. The leading sheep fell in, and the remainder, passing overthem, smothered twenty-five sheep and forty lambs, the whole being worthnear four hundred dollars.
"In the same book, there is also an account of a flock near Guildford,consisting of more than eight hundred sheep, in one pasture. A dog oneday jumped the hedge, and so frightened them that one of them jumpedinto an adjoining field, which was on a great descent, when the rest ofthe flock followed each other over the gap of the hedge so fast that onehundred and twenty-three of them were killed."
"There is one quality or characteristic of the sheep which will interestyou, Minnie," said her father, "and that is their love of home. PerhapsMr. Sullivan will tell you some stories about that."
"I should be very glad to hear them, and about the little lambs."
"A great deal can be said upon that," returned the shepherd, cheerfully."So strong is their attachment to the place where they have been bred,that I have heard of their returning to the Highlands of Scotland from adistance of three hundred miles. When a few sheep accidentally get awayfrom their acquaintance in the flock, they always return home withgreat eagerness and perseverance.
"The most singular instance that I know of is that of a black ewe, thatreturned from a farm in the head of Glen Lyon to her home in Tweeddale,and accomplished the journey in nine days. She was soon missed by herowner, and a shepherd was despatched in pursuit of her, who followed herall the way to Crieff, where he turned and gave her up. He gotintelligence of her all the way, and every one told him that sheabsolutely persisted in travelling on--she would not be turned,regarding neither sheep nor shepherd by the way.
"Her poor little lamb was often far behind, and she had constantly tourge it on by impatient bleating. She unluckily reached Stirling on themorning of a great annual fair, about the end of May, and judging itimprudent to venture through the crowd with her lamb, she halted on thenorth side of the town the whole day, where she was seen by hundreds,lying close by the roadside.
"But the next morning, a little before the break of day, when all wasstill, she was seen stealing quietly through the town, in apparentterror of the dogs that were prowling about the street. The last timeshe was seen on the road was at a toll bar near St. Ninian's; the manstopped her, thinking she was a strayed animal, and that some one wouldclaim her. She tried several times to break through by force, when heopened the gate for travellers; but he always prevented her, and atlength she turned patiently back. She found some means of eluding him,however; for she reached home on a Sabbath morning early in June, havingleft the farm at Glen Lyon either on Thursday afternoon or Fridaymorning, a week and two days before.
"I suppose her former owner thought she had earned a right to remain onher native farm, for he paid the Highland farmer the price of her, andshe remained with him till she at length died of old age, in herseventeenth year."
At this moment, company was announced, who remained till evening, sothat poor little Minnie, after waiting a long time for her stories, wasobliged to go to bed without them.
"Never mind, dear," whispered her father, noticing her look ofdisappointment; "I have a book with beautiful anecdotes of sheep andlambs, which I will read to you when I come home to-morrow night."
In the morning, Mr. Sullivan found time to pay Nannie a visit, andpronounced her in a thriving condition. He recommended Mr. Lee to haveher wool sheared off, as it was so long as to make her uncomfortableduring the heat of summer.
Nannie was now a year old, and was a fine, large lamb, with her speckledface looking very bright and intelligent, and, as the gentleman said,did credit to the care of her shepherdess.
Soon after breakfast, Mr. Lee and his visitor went to the library onbusiness, and Minnie did not see them again until just as they weregetting into the carriage to drive away. She waited with some impatiencefor her father to return, and wished she knew what book her fatherreferred to as having the stories in it, so that she might have itready for him.
Her mother, finding that she was restless and discontented, advised herto apply herself to her letters, which she was beginning to learn.
If the truth must be told, the little girl was not fond of study; butwhen her mother reminded her that most children of her age could readand spell with ease, and that, if she was diligent, she herself wouldsoon be able to read stories, and not be dependent on any one else, shethought it would be a good thing to learn. For half an hour, she forgother desire for her father's return in finding A's and E's in books tomatch letters on her cards.
Evening came at last, and Mr. Lee with it. He looked very smiling, andtold his wife his sister was in the city, and was coming in a few weeksto visit them. The moment he saw Minnie's expectant face, he told her hewould be ready in five minutes to attend to her, and then invited Mrs.Lee to accompany them to the library, to hear some stories from theShepherd's Calendar, and other books.
In a few moments, Minnie was seated on her father's lap, her wholecountenance beaming with pleased anticipation.