The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-03-04
noGlIATIc CRITc1sM.

Fidelity to ones convictions is a
quality so admirable that one must
admire even the imperfect develop
ments Of it which are seen in the
brute creation. We have a country
neighbOr whose late dog was an eT-
ample to us all in the matterof idel-
ity to his convictions of duty. He
had an impression that it was duty
to watch and guard his masters
premises, ard he did it with courage.
But, gradually, he took it into his
head that the road belonged to his
master, and nobody could 90 past
without receiving a yolley which
reused up the LATEST horse, and made
the bOldest foOtman look uaeasilv
behind him. After a little while he
learned to sit in front Of the gate snd
as far as he could see up and down
the road, and he felt called upon. to
form a critical judgement upon every
thing that moved upon it. This sense
Of responsibility grew upon him. He
feared lest he should leave some dan
ger unexplOred-some duty unDer-
formed. Any unusual noise would
set him ofIike an alarm clock. Some
times he would tear away to the rear
Of the house. charging like a cavalry
OfiicerupOn some invisible enemy.
Then he would return, with his
tongue out and a happy conceit in
his eye, as if he would say, Il must
be faithful, although I would rather
be good-natured. Peace is the thing
1 really prefer"
We never could quite understand
this fellow creature. 1t was evident
that he had a spice of hurnor under
the semblance of feroeity, and that
he often barked to keep up appear
anees, and to hint to all concerned
what he would do should his duty
oblige him. He would sit in the
gateway, aud indulge in a series Of
gutteral and suppressed barks, mere
/. practices Of the scale, as it were, to
keep his voice in condition. be
would look upon children with a
pitying eye, as if thinking, "Oh.
you viii be big enough to BARI at be-
fore long
With years came } still more sub
lime sense Of his responsibility. He
seemed to Feel that both heaven and
earth had been committed to his
care. On moonlight nights he
seemed called to express himself at
unusual length and with great emp
hasis. He sometimes wandered ab-
road to see ifeverything was right
among the neighbors; and, though
modesty kept him silent on other
peoples grounds, no sooner did he
get home than he opened his mind
freely, and would sometimes criticise
by the hour.
It has been doubted whether an
imals have any moral sense. But if
that dog had not 4 conscience, there
never was one. He was sharp, critic
al of others, content with himself
oppressed with q sense of the trust
committed to hlm, good natured
when pleased, and cross generally,
under a sense OF duty. We never
could quite make up our mind wheth-
er this dog was the transmigrated
spirit of some medieval, inquisitori-
al professor OF theology, or whether,
according to Darwin's very danger
ous theory, it was some nascent doc
tor of dogma working his way 20 a
professor-ship or an editorial chair.
On the whole, we liked him. though
he gave us one or two terrible scares
But then, We called It fidelity to his
nature, and respected his sense Of
duty. Although, if it had been
little more rational and discriminat-
ING, with a particle more good na-
ture, and a trile less conscience, we
should have liked it quite as we'll