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Show I I An Old Man's Story. j A half dozen boys from 14 to 16 years of age were gaihorod about the old barn, under which a defenseless dog had fled from their tormenting attention. at-tention. Some were lying flat on the ground peering j under; some were hurling small missiles as far as ! they couTd reach; while two others, more enter-j prising still, were trying to pull up n board in the ! lloor. Amid their excited shouts of 'There he is- I see ' him:' "Hold on, there; I'll lix him!" and kindred exclamations, they did not hear carriage .wheels in the .soft, dusty road or see the occupants until a quiet voice said: "What is it, boys'- One or two slunk away in a shamefaced man-mr, man-mr, but two or three others, began all together to tell him what their victim was. "He ain't nobody's dog,"'' said one; "'Nd we think he's -ot hydrophobia," said another: while a third added, 'Tie's no 'count anyhow, 'nd if we can git him out we're going to tie. a stone to his neck nd drown him over in Simmond's pond" "Has he bitten any of you!" the quiet voice inquired again. 1 "He sort o' snapped at Wallie's hand, 'nd he'd a bit me. if 1 hadn't been too smart for him " said the largest boy. while 'Wallie' examined his dirt v nnger with a martvr-like air. ' "I suppose you boys were quietly playing somewhere some-where and the dog pitched into you!1" There was profound silence for a'few moments when one bright-eyed little fellow said manfully "No, mister, be didn't. He was Ivin' ,lown with a bone just gnawin' il. ye know 'nd we sort Tt to plcggin' 'nd postcriV him, 'nd 'twas when Value Val-ue snatched the bone that he snapped.''" - "Have you time to listen to an old man's story V Instantly sticks and stones were ' dropped, though two of the lads tried to put on an indifferent indiffer-ent front. Driving his horse into the -shade of bo"' build-in?:, build-in?:, the stranger began; j "As a boy I va fond of hunting, and spent ' many days with iuy dog Stanley in the woods. I professed to be very good to him; but when I think of the.-whippings -and kicks the noble, fellow re-eeived re-eeived from me while, as I called it, I was 'training him,' 1 am amazed to rliink of the affection he gave in return; but tho worst was yet to come. "He had never becn;t good retriever. You know what that is, of course a dog that will co anywhere, any-where, after you have shot your game, and nring it to you without mussing or tearing it in the least. I had repeatedly beaten Stanley for his failure in this line, though I knew it came from the fact that his former master had whipjicd him for carrying "home dead chickens, or anything likv that, he found in the neighborhod during his puppy days, true !o liis retrieving instinct. One day, while shooting ducks, I said to J1"11".-, 'Now, sir, you'll bring me that bird out there on that island or I'll kill, you; do you understand it I shall always think he did, from the troubled look he gave me and the pleading way in which he crept to my side and attempted to caress my hand. Roughly shook him oil and bade him go fetch that bird. Obediently Obedi-ently he plunged into thejee-cold water, swam to the island, and thou stood in an irresolute, troubled manner Upside the duck. Angrily I shouted my orders, but he only put his nose on it, then swam back three times; then he attempted to land. I knew that he was too chilled to make it possible for him to return to the island, but my passion mastered me, and again and again I struck him back into the water. with my gun butt, fiercely declaring de-claring that he would bring me thai bird or never ! land alive. . - "Presently he grew so helpless from cold, strug- 1 gles and blows that he let himself drift beyond my reach- but, 'frenzied with rage, I dropped my gun and snatched up fl-longypole. I leaned over the water's edce to strike him. As. the polo came down some sod or root under my foot gave way, and I found myself struggling in the coldest water I was ever in; but it was only for a few brief moments, mo-ments, for with the icy hand of death already tightening tight-ening about his faithful heart, that noble dog i roused himself at sight, of my peril, worked toward me as. best he could, and with a last desperate effort, ef-fort, born of love and fidelity, he dragged me to shore, sank down, and. with a few short gasps, was dead. "You understand what I mean now, and all I have to say further is. boys, be kind to every living creature, and if you can do an- good by repeating an old man's story, tell it again and again." There was silence in the little group as once more the carriage wheels rolled noiselessly away; but presently the largest boy took some pennies from his pocket and bode two of the smaller ones "run to the market and get a good, meaty bone." On their return it was laid where the stray dog could smell it, and then the company quietly dispersed, each to tell some one else, the old man's story, and put in practice, we trust, his admonition. "Be kind to every livng creature." Practical Farmer. f |
