PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

Vol. 159.

July 7th, 1920.

[Illustration:  Punch Vol.  Clix.]

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[Illustration:  Vol.  Clix.]

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Timon.

About a month ago we lost our dog.  I can’t describe him, although I have tried from time to time; but Elaine, my wife, said I should not speak in that fashion of a dumb animal.  He stands about two hands high, is of a reseda-green shade, except when in anger, and has no distinguishing marks except the absence of a piece of the right ear, which was carried off by a marauding Irish terrier.  He answers with a growl to many names, including that of Timon.  He will also answer to a piece of raw meat, another dog or a postman.

I do not know if dogs can be said to have a hobby; if so, Timon’s hobby is postmen.  He studies them closely.  In fact I should not be surprised if he comes to write a monograph on them some day.

As soon as one of them has daringly passed the entrance gates of Bellevue, Timon trots forth like a reception committee to meet him.  He studies the bunch of communications that the visitor bears in his hand.  If they are all right—­cheques from publishers, editors and missing-heir merchants, invitations to tea and tennis or dinner and dominoes, requests for autographs—­Timon nods and allows the postman to pass unscathed.  On the other hand, if the collection includes rejected manuscripts, income or other tax demand notes, tracts or circulars, then I hear the low growl with which Timon customarily goes into action, and the next moment the postman is making for the neighbouring county and taking a four-foot gate in his stride.

Consequently it is to be anticipated that if the Olympic Games are ever held in our neighbourhood the sprint and the hurdles will be simply at the mercy of our local post-office.  They take no credit for it.  It is simply practice, they say.

But, to return to the main subject, we have lost Timon.  One month has passed without his cheery presence at Bellevue.  Reckless postmen have made themselves free of the front garden and all colour has gone out of life.

We have done everything to win him back.  We have inserted numerous advertisements in the agony columns of the newspapers:  “If this should catch the eye of Timon,” or “Come back, Timon.  All will be forgiven;” but apparently we have yet to find his favourite newspaper.

We began with the well-known canine papers, trusting vainly that he might happen to glance through them some day when he was a bit bored or hadn’t an engagement.  After that we went through The Times, The Morning Post (he’s strongly anti-Bolshevik), The Daily News (his views on vivisection are notorious) and other dailies, and then took to the weeklies.