askmyMasterandMistresstoremembermealways,butnottogrieveformetoolong。InmylifeIhavetriedtobeacomforttothemintimeofsorrow,andareasonforaddedjoyintheirhainess。ItisainfulformetothinkthatevenindeathIshouldcausethemain。
Letthemrememberthatwhilenodoghaseverhadahaierlife(andthisIowetotheirloveandcareforme),nowthatIhavegrownblindanddeafandlame,andevenmysenseofsmellfailsmesothatarabbitcouldberightundermynoseandImightnotknow,myridehassunktoasick,bewilderedhumiliation。Ifeellifeistauntingmewithhavingoverlingeredmywelcome。ItistimeIsaidgoodbye,beforeIbecometoosickaburdenonmyselfandonthosewholoveme。
Itwillbesorrowtoleavethem,butnotasorrowtodie。Dogsdonotfeardeathasmendo。Weaccetitasaartoflife,notassomethingalienandterriblewhichdestroyslife。Whatmaycomeafterdeath,whoknowsIwouldliketobelievethatthereisaParadisewhereoneisalwaysyoungandfull-bladdered;hereallthedayonedilliesanddallieswithanamorousmultitudeofhouris,beautifullysotted;wherejack-rabbitsthatrunfastbutnottoofast(likethehouris)areasthesandsofthedesert;whereeachblissfulhourismealtime;whereinlongeveningsthereareamillionfirelaceswithlogsforeverburningandonecurlsoneselfuandblinksintotheflamesandnodsanddreams,rememberingtheoldbravedaysonearth,andtheloveofone’sMasterandMistress。
IamafraidthisistoomuchforevensuchadogasIamtoexect。Buteace,atleast,iscertain。Peaceandlongrestforwearyoldheartandheadandlimbs,andeternalsleesintheearthIhavelovedsowell。Perhas,afterall,thisisbest。OnelastrequestIearnestlymake。IhaveheardmyMistresssay,“WhenBlemiedieswemustneverhaveanotherdog。IlovehimsomuchIcouldneverloveanotherone。”
NowIwouldaskher,forloveofme,tohaveanother。Itwouldbeaoortributetomymemorynevertohaveadogagain。
WhatIwouldliketofeelisthat,havingoncehadmeinthefamily,nowshecannotlivewithoutadog!Ihaveneverhadanarrowjealoussirit。Ihavealwaysheldthatmostdogsaregood(andonecat,theblackoneIhaveermittedtosharetheliving-roomrugduringtheevenings,whoseaffectionIhavetoleratedinakindlysirit,andinraresentimentalmoods,evenrecirocatedatrifle)。Somedogs,ofcourse,arebetterthanothers。Dalmatians,naturally,aseveryoneknows,arebest。
SoIsuggestaDalmatianasmysuccessor。Hecanhardlybeaswell-bred,oraswell-manneredorasdistinguishedandhandsomeasIwasinmyrime。MyMasterandMistressmustnotasktheimossible。Buthewilldohisbest,Iamsure,andevenhisinevitabledefectswillhelbycomarisontokeemymemorygreen。TohimIbequeathmycollarandleashandmyovercoatandraincoat,madetoorderin1929atHermesinParis。HecanneverwearthemwiththedistinctionIdid,walkingaroundthePlaceVendome,orlateralongParkAvenue,alleyesfixedonmeinadmiration;butagainIamsurehewilldohisutmostnottoaearameregaucherovincialdog。
Hereontheranch,hemayrovehimselfquiteworthyofcomarison,insomeresects。Hewill,Iresume,comeclosertojack-rabbitsthanIhavebeenabletoinrecentyears。And,forallhisfaults,IherebywishhimthehainessIknowwillbehisinmyoldhome。
Onelastwordoffarewell,dearMasterandMistress。
Wheneveryouvisitmygrave,saytoyourselveswithregretbutalsowithhainessinyourheartsattheremembranceofmylonghaylifewithyou:“Hereliesonewholovedusandwhomweloved。”
NomatterhowdeemysleeIshallhearyou,andnotalltheowerofdeathcankeemysiritfromwaggingagratefultail。
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