New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-10
UOPSE SENSE. A FABLE.
himself.


horse and dog were travelling in company. The
horse was not thoroughbred, nor high stopper,
nor anything of that sort, but just simply an old
fashioned animal that had done his duty as well as
he knew how and had no advantages in the way OF
education except the knowledge he had gained OF
the WAYS of the world in knocking around on the
docks and i'm the city streets. The dog was Pom
eranian-a "Spitz" He had been brought up IN
"the best society," of which he had been the orna-
ment and pet had lived in the drawing-room and
been fondled by the finest ladies'; had never been
disgraced by the suspicion of having any possible
use in the world and reoced in adegree OF ugilness
of appearance and snappishness OF manner that
made it impossible to believe he was
brought into the world for anybody's graf
ifcation but his own. No puppy in polite
society had enjoyed more advantages or was
more utterly useless and thoroughly posted III
social etiquette than he The old horse was very
much interested in the conversation OF tho puppy,
who whiled away the journey with much gossip OF
the clubs and the high social circles he requented
At length they came to place where two persons
stood confronting each other with pistols waiting
the word to be given to fire. Spitz exhibited great
animation at the spectacle and began to discourse
with much enthusiasm about what he called The
Code.n "But who are these persons ~ said the old
emphasis and wise toss of the head, as who should
saw "Old friends of mine" To which the old horse
answered Neigh ~ Not that fhe said Neigh to
the proposition for the puppy would have called
him out if he had; it only his way OF express
ing surprise, just a crowd at pyrotechnlc exhl-
bition looks up and says "O-o-h" at the I'M
pressiye moment when rocket ceases to be rocket
and becomes a stick.
"TbisD said Sptz with a great air of wisdom, /" is
what we call in our circle an affair OF honor"
"Of honor ~ said the old horse. "HOws thatf
observed affairs similar to this once or twice on
the docks when was connected with dray. Thoro
was not so much fOrmalty in those cases, but the
intent and the weapons were the same. And
always noticed that the parties were hustled OIL to
prison Immediately by the police, and that they
called it a murderous assault, some such thing,
and that it sometimes ended with hanging. In all
these cases. though. the parties were in anger and
hot blood and sometimes in liquor These persons
seem cool and sober. Is that the difference be-
tween mnrderous assault and an affair of honor,
my dear SpitzP
Il perceive" replied Sptz, with little yelp of
contempt at the ignorance of his companion, " that
you are not familiar with the usages of polite soci-
ety. Listen, then, while l recte the facts in this
case which will explain themselves, even to dray-
horse These two gentlemen had differences of
opinion upon some domestic question-no matter
what-and one of them undertook to convince the
public that he was right by striking the other over
the head and face several times with whp-a-beg-
ging your pardon-horse- whip"
"A domestic questionp interrupted the horse.
"What was itr
"Oh, nobody knows precisely but the affair has
filed the clubs with all sorts of gossip about it,"
"And didut the public know anything about the
,f q a ipnu rad ba WIN
was getting quite interested in the story.
"Not a word. 1t was purely private matter"
"And you mean to say" continued the old horse,
incredulously "tbat one of these gentlemen called
public attention to this purely private quarrel by
attacking the other in the street. and did not even
then let the grounds of the quarrel be knownP
"Yes, yes And as | WAS about TO say -"
"Well, but don't understand" interrupted the
old horse.
Never mind what you don't understand" testify
broke in Spitz; "you are plainly very ignorant of
the usages of polite society. Let me finish my story
After this there but open to the per-
son assaulted, and that to invite bis assailant
ont to meet him with deadly weapons in an open
field where each might do his best to kill the other
They are here for that purpose. The man who was
assaulted would MT have been recognized as gen.
teman if he had MT invited his assaant out to shoot
him. and the assailant would have forfeited his place
in society if he hadn't accepted the invitation to
come out here and shoot at the man he had as
saulted."
"But snt this forbidden by lawi" asked the
old horse.
"Oh that's nothing pertly answered Spitz.
"The law of honor is the higher law in our circle.
Statutes are made for brawlers among the common
people. Gentlemen recognize only The Code"
Just then there a report of firearms, and
shortly afterward Of the principals limpcd
away with bullet in his leg, while the other walked
off unframed. Then the little dog skipped about
and sent up sharp little bark of delight and said.
Wasn't it beautiful 1t was gentlcmanly!D
And the old horse said, "Spitz-y, my boy, don't
know much about the usages of polite society, but
hare got horse sense and it strikes that whatever
there is in this performance that isn't criminal and
brutal, is about as ridiculous as anything ever saw
in my life"
But demonstrated Spitz, these are both gen.
tlemen, and they had to try to kill each other to
prove it,"
Then the unsophisticated old horse. turning to his
companion, said. mildly, "Spitz-y, you're enough to
make horse laugh" And he laughed.
Moral-If men only had horse sense
--
Hope springs eternal, and your genuine Radical
has no sort of fear OF hard times Here are two new
Radical journals, each involving large faith in the
disposition of the thinking classes to pay literally