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Teddy’s friendship had seemed to be definitely won on an occasion which brought home to one the quaint resemblance between the codes and ways of dogs and those of schoolboys.  When the winter came on, a rather severe one, it soon became evident that the little short-haired fellow suffered considerably from the cold.  Out on walks, he was visibly shivering, though he made no fuss about it.  So one of the angels in the house knitted for him a sort of woollen sweater buttoned down his neck and under his belly, and trimmed it with some white fur that gave it an exceedingly smart appearance.  Teddy did not happen to be there when it was first tried on, and, for the moment, Puppy had to be content with our admiration, and his own vast sense of importance.  Certainly, a more self-satisfied terrier never was than he who presently sped out, to air his new finery before an astonished neighbourhood.  But alas! you should have seen him a few minutes afterwards.  We had had the curiosity to stroll out to see how he had got on, and presently, in a bit of rocky woodland near by, we came upon a curious scene.  In the midst of a clump of red cedars, three great dogs, our Teddy, a wicked old black retriever, and a bustling be-wigged and be-furred collie, stood in a circle round Puppy, seated on his haunches, trembling with fear, tongue lolling and eyes wandering, for all the world as though they were holding a court-martial, or, at all events, a hazing-party.  The offence evidently lay with that dandified new sweater.  One and another of the dogs smelt at it, then tugged at it in evident disgust; and, as each time Puppy made a move to get away, all girt him round with guttural thunder of disapproval, as much as to say:  “Do you call that a thing for a manly dog to go around in?  You ought to be ashamed of yourself, you miserable dandy.”

We couldn’t help reflecting that it was all very well for those great comfortable long-haired dogs to talk, naturally protected as they were from the cold.  Yet that evidently cut no figure with them, and they went on sniffing and tugging and growling, till we thought our poor Puppy’s eyes and tongue would drop out with fear.  Yet, all the time, they seemed to be enjoying his plight, seemed to be smiling grimly together, wicked old experienced brutes as they were.

Presently the idea of the thing seemed to occur to Puppy, or out of his extremity a new soul was born within him, for suddenly an infinite disgust of his new foppery seemed to take possession of him too, and, regaining his courage, he turned savagely upon it, ripping it this way and that, and struggling with might and main to rid himself of the accursed thing.  Presently he stood free, and barks of approval at once went up from his judges.  He had come through his ordeal, and was once more a dog among dogs.  Great was the rejoicing among his friends, and the occasion having been duly celebrated by joint destruction and contumely of the offending garment, Teddy and he returned home, friends for life.