Mr. Bojangles

     Mr. Bojangles had a dog for 15 years until its death, and after 20 years he still grieved.  I had a dog, Lassie, for 11 years and after more than 50 years I still grieve.  She became my dog when I was 8 years old, and died when I was 19.  We believed it was from complications of a rabies vaccination, which was in its early stages of distribution at the time.  Lassie and our other dogs absolutely loved bring indoors in the evening, and they would stretch out and try to be invisible when night fell and it was time for them to go out to their doghouses.  My mother at that time did not want dogs in the house during the night. I don't know the reason; it was just the way things were.  Lassie had been sick for a week or so, not wanting to eat, though otherwise with no visible ailment.  So she was allowed to stay in the house overnight, and it was cold and wintry.  After I finished my college homework, I let her out before bedtime, and stood by the open door so she could come back in.  But on her way back from attending to her business, she stopped by the door where I was standing and looked at me, and then, so unusual for her, passed by to go into her doghouse.  I remember her making eye contact  with me before she continued on.  In the morning she would be dead.  I can still see her looking at me; she had brown eyes.