but not so big.  He is wonderfully graceful and well-mannered (barring a trifling incident yesterday, when he got into my little cupboard, ate about two pounds of cheese and all the rolls, and snuffed the butter).  And another trifling occurrence to-day.  We chained him to the sofa, which, during our absence, he dragged (exactly as the dogs dragged Mons. Jabot’s bed) across the room, upset the ink on to the carpet, threw my photo-book down by it, and established himself in Rex’s arm-chair.  It was most ludicrous, for the other day he slipped his collar, and chose the sofa to lie on, but because he was tied to the sofa, with full permission to use it, he chose the chair! and must nearly have lugged his own head off.  He does wonderfully little damage with his pranks; there were wine-glasses, bottles, pickles, &c., in the cupboard when he got the cheese; but he extracted his supper as daintily as a cat, and not a thing was upset!  Oddly enough, when we are with him, he never thinks of getting into cushions and chairs like that blessed old sybarite the Bull-dogue.  But if we leave him tied up, he plays old gooseberry with the furniture.  I had been fearing it would be rather a practical difficulty in the way of his adoption, the question of where he should sleep; but he solved it for himself.  He walks up-stairs after us, flops on to the floor, gives two or three sighs, and goes gracefully to sleep....  I wish you could have seen him lying in perverse dignity in the arm-chair, with the sofa attached to the end of his chain like a locket!!!

To H.K.F.G.

12th Sunday after Trinity. Fredericton, N.B. August 16, 1869.

...  We had a great scene with Peter yesterday.  Rex has two guns, you must know—­a rifle, and an old fowling-piece—­good enough in its way, but awfully old-fashioned (not a breech-loader), and he determined to make old Peter a present of this, for he is a good old fellow, and does not cheat one, and we had resolved to give him something, and we knew this would delight him.  I wish you could have seen him.  He burst out laughing, and laughed at intervals from pure pleasure, and went away with it laughing.  But with the childlike enjoyment (which negroes have also), the Indians have a power and grace in “expressing their sentiments” on such an occasion which far exceeds the attempts of our “poor people,” and is most dignified.  His first speech was an emphatic (and always slow) “Too good!  Too much!” and when Rex assured him it was very old, not worth anything, etc., etc., he hastily interrupted him with a thoroughly gentlemanlike air, almost Grandisonian, “Oh! oh! as good as new to me.  Quite as good as new.”  They were like two Easterns!  For not to be outdone in courtesy, Rex warned him not to put too large charges of powder for fear the barrel should burst—­being so old.  A caution which I believe to be totally unnecessary, and a mere hyperbole of depreciation—­as Peter seemed perfectly to understand!  He told me it was “The first present I ever receive from a gentleman.  Well—­well—­I never forget it, the longest day I live.”  The graceful candour with which he said, “I am very thankful to you,” was quite pretty.