her own species, Toby became her constant associate; and finding his visits to the kitchen were winked at, he made use of the privilege, and would bask himself at full length before the fire. He even ventured occasionally to follow her into the front lobby; and if, as sometimes was the case, she put him into the yard, he would kick up such a row at the kitchen door to be let in, thumping on it with his snout, that she was fain to admit him to his old quarters. Toby was of a very social disposition, and so fond of Annette, and so grateful for her kindness, that he would follow her about everywhere; indeed to my great surprise, one day I found him standing sentry over her while she was putting down the stair carpet, and he seemed to be watching her proceedings with a very sagacious air. In process of time there came another proof that the course of true love never did run smooth. Annette fell into bad health, and returned to her home; the damsel who replaced her, had no taste for the society of pigs; so she thumped Toby away from the kitchen door, and many were the blows he got from her broom, or whatever missile first came to hand. Toby was soon exiled to his sty, much against his inclination, for he evidently would have preferred bivouacking in the back premises. We seldom passed to the garden without throwing him some comfort in the shape of a few cabbage-leaves, a handful of acorns, or a bunch of turnip-tops. It was truly amusing to see Toby make his bed. As the straw which was furnished for it was rather long and coarse, Toby used to take it bunch by bunch in his teeth, and run into a corner, breaking it into small pieces; and having accomplished this feat, he proceeded to arrange his couch in the most methodical manner. One day, Betty having omitted to give him his dinner, Toby in a great passion, jumped out of his sty, and came running to the kitchen door to see what was the reason of his being so shamefully neglected, and loud and long were his remonstrances on the subject. Finding it difficult to get the poor animal properly attended to, he was transferred to a neighbor; and we never gave him a successor, as we scarcely expected to find in another of his species that gratitude for kindness and affection for his friends, which shone so conspicuous in the character of poor Toby,"
It may appear absurd to claim cleanliness as a swinish virtue; but in point of actual fact the pig is a much more cleanly animal than most of his calumniators give him credit for being. He is fond of a good cleanly bed; and often, when this is not provided for him, it is curious to see the degree of sagacity with which he will forage for himself. "A hog is the cleanliest of all creatures, and will never dung or stale in his sty if he can get forth," says a quaint old writer of the sixteenth century, and we are very much of his opinion. But it is so much the habit to believe that this animal may be kept in any state of filth and neglect, that "pig" and "pig-sty" are terms
