The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-06-17


According to this economical view, it was
determined not to take with him across
the seas his dog, sagacious animal and
a great faVorite, but now well advanced
IN years, every one of the number acqui-
escing IN the resolution as a matter of
ProPrlety, if not obvious necessity, with
the exception of little Fanny, girl of
some ten years of age, whose affection
towards the faithful brute went beyond
all pecuniary considerations.
81 think it will break my heart, father,
| If you put poor Neptune to DEATH" said
The weeping girl, as she saw her parent
preparing to carry the dogs sentence into
execution, by having him expeditiously
drowned. "Oh, spars him, spare him
and when l grow big and able to earn
wages. I'll serve you without asking any
until you say that have made up for all
that the noble creature has cost you in
taking him to ou- new home"
Fanny, my dear, it must not be as
you would have it with poor Neptune,
answered the father, "although it pleaees
me to hear you talk and plead as you
have done. The faithful creature. you
know; is getting old it cannot be very
long before it will be an act of kindness TO
him to put an end to his days, unless he
should happen to die suddenly of some
natural death. In fact, | think it would
be cruel rather than otherwise to take him
to America with us, even although the
expense of his passage were left out of
view thing, however, which / cannot
overlook when considering our straighten-
ed circumstances and my duty to my
chiIdrea, you yourself amongst the rest,
Fanny. Neptune is not like one of Us,
for whom there is another world and al
after lite. he has not au account to give
of deeds done on earth. He dies and per-
ishes forever; and if that death be dealt
him from proper motives, as matter of
prudence, and with sparing him all need
less alarm and pain, 10 wrong is done the
poor brute. They say drowning is the
easies: of deaths and I'll just take him
cut TO the lake, and having fastened
cloth around his neck with d stone il it,
fling him from the top of one ofthe rocks
at the side OF the water, and he'll be dead
IN few seconds."
Fanny was obliged TO yield, and silence
her objections and this the more readily
On her fathers quoting some lines from
his favorite poet, Cowper, a copy of
whose works he possessed where that in
structlys and charming writer speaks of
needful act incurring no blame, but that
he would not enter amongst his list Of
friends the man that wantonly set his
! foot upon the meanest worm.
William Welsh proceeded to the fulfill
ment of his purpose with his dog, this be-
ing Immediately before bis departure from
his old farm with such of his goods and
| family as were to accompany him to the
| new world. 1t was as work of painful
necessity that he set about the matter.
forcing himself TO it by an effort of the
will rather than delegating the business,
from a wish to save his own feelings, to
any other person, who might, after all,
bungle 1T, and cause the poor brute need
less suffering. With heavy heart the
worthy man set forth towards the lake (;
Neptune, according to his wont, being fain
to go along with him, and showing hs
feeling on the occasion by scampeTins
away in advance Of his master with a
| pioneer zeal.
''Poor brute !" said William Welsh to
himself, on seeing the confiding animal
conduct himself in his accustomed way,
| "thou hast no notion of what is awaiting
thee at my hands, which have never mis-
used thee and as little capst thou ever
know how 1t vexes me to put an end TO
thee. But II is only one Of many griefs
which have at this crisis to bear. In
deed, were it not but one of my trials, aud
after all not by any means the chief OF
them, should not be able to keep the
stout heart for the painful performance
that actually have"
The grave soliloquist had now reached
the side of the small lake that Law amid
the uplands of his late farm, and Neptune
has stretched himself at his masters feet.
as that master for a few seconds rumi.
mates upon the thing that is 10 be done
considering, too. Of the precise spot into
which to fling the animal And now he
has stopped to tie the piece of stuff aronnd
the dogs neck, having placed within the
sort OF bag formed by the pendant part of
the Goth fitting weight of stone; Nep>
tune all the while kindly licking the wor-
thy mans nand, as if in return for some
understood piece of extraordinary tender>
ness OF treatment. But what remains
must be hurriediy accomplished, forbid
ding any waste of flattery or fawning.
Strength is put to the needful work Nep-
tune and the appendages to his neck are
speedily lifted up, and as quickly tossed
into the watery element at the foot of the
little eninence upon which the farmer has
taken his stand, and who has wheeled
round the instant he was delivered of his
charge, even before the dog has well
reached the surface of the lake. He has
wheeled round, and hurries away from the
brink, that he may not be near the scene
of the painful operation to which he has
forced himself, yet consoled with the idea