My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is
what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are
only fine large words meaning nothing. My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to
say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as wondering how she got so
much education. But, indeed, it was not real education; it was only show: she got the
words by listening in the dining-room and drawing-room when there was company, and
by going with the children to Sunday-school and listening there; and whenever she heard
a large word she said it over to herself many times, and so was able to keep it until there
was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and
distress them all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble. If
there was a stranger he was nearly sure to be suspicious, and when he got his breath again
he would ask her what it meant. And she always told him. He was never expecting this
but thought he would catch her; so when she told him, he was the one that looked
ashamed, whereas he had thought it was going to be she. The others were always waiting
for this, and glad of it and proud of her, for they knew what was going to happen, because
they had had experience. When she told the meaning of a big word they were all so taken
up with admiration that it never occurred to any dog to doubt if it was the right one; and
that was natural, because, for one thing, she answered up so promptly that it seemed like
a dictionary speaking, and for another thing, where could they find out whether it was
right or not? for she was the only cultivated dog there was. By and by, when I was older,
she brought home the word Unintellectual, one time, and worked it pretty hard all the
week at different gatherings, making much unhappiness and despondency; and it was at
this time that I noticed that during that week she was asked for the meaning at eight
different assemblages, and flashed out a fresh definition every time, which showed me
that she had more presence of mind than culture, though I said nothing, of course. She
had one word which she always kept on hand, and ready, like a life-preserver, a kind of
emergency word to strap on when she was likely to get washed overboard in a sudden
way--that was the word Synonymous. When she happened to fetch out a long word which
had had its day weeks before and its prepared meanings gone to her dump-pile, if there
was a stranger there of course it knocked him groggy for a couple of minutes, then he
would come to, and by that time she would be away down wind on another tack, and not
expecting anything; so when he'd hail and ask her to cash in, I (the only dog on the inside
of her game) could see her canvas flicker a moment-- but only just a moment--then it
would belly out taut and full, and she would say, as calm as a summer's day, "It's
synonymous with supererogation," or some godless long reptile of a word like that, and
go placidly about and skim away on the next tack, perfectly comfortable, you know, and
leave that stranger looking profane and embarrassed, and the initiated slatting the floor
with their tails in unison and their faces transfigured with a holy joy.
