, 1877-01-06
The Dog in the Manager.
Froa, The Notirw Boni,T


which the grand old Greek story teller
told us in our first Latin, which has
stood MS an emblem Of mcunncSs ever
since dear Father 4Esop exposed him to
,hr ignominy otthe agr.
Now we like dog of courage. We
must admire i we 10 not altogether ap.
prove the bold mastiff who attacks the
putchcr's cart, and bears off rib bc.
tween his glittcring teeth, while his
cory lips, flashing eye, and low muttcrrd
grOwl warns all interested, of the diGiHe
right of mWht-and when he stands
bravcly before our face, tearing and de-
youring it, We feel that every muscle,
bone and sincw in, that powerful frame
demands that fuel with hunger that
&nows no law. Or when the sly cat
steals under our kitchen window and
whisks off our cooling loaf, we can but
send some sympathy after him with our
mop handle, us we say well our loss is
his gain, the half starved creature need
ed it badly enough"
Now can we bear malice in our hearts
toward the excited plncklcss dog who,
being of nervous temperament but
lacking courage to assail the tangible
cxhausts his powers by furiously baying
the moon that hurts no one. The moon
doesn't mind it--mcrely winks patron.
i2ingy down at little Braves harmless
fury and wishes him joy OF his existence.
But when sleek well fed hound, with
malice preprncc stretches himself in the
crib, dcspoiling food TO which he would
not touch tongue or tooth hand the pa.
tent sad eyed donkey stands there pray
ing for his daily bread after weary hours
of toll, the utmost stretch of charity
lespises such dog.
# that donkey doesn't reverse and eX.
crcse his prerogative on that dog, send
ing his canine ribs in twenty several di-
rections through the bars of that crib,
then there is no sense IN being donkey.
he doesn't deserve the name and heels
OF II iackass.
Does the hound plead that he is wroth
with his long cared competitor, torsooth
when he brays (hidrous sound that it is)
more people listen than TO his majestic
bark, and thus his dignity and self
respect are insulted. Well, does he re-
gain either Of these lost virtues by grow
cling in the donkey's mnnger'-winking
so nnOcently, and growing so sanctimo-
niously, while the hungry animal waits
tainting for the bread of his lite--or will
his adversary cease bTaying like an ass,
or he cease barking like dog, it he lies
there till the hard grain pierces his
cuticle and grows to corn stalks above
his tomb He will be apt to hear such
bray as he has never heard yet il he
keeps the ass starving there much longer.
He will be glad to hang his own two
ears between his own two paws, and
not t.,rry to measure barks till he attains
point where distance lends some en-.
chantment to that asinne uutburst Of
mature. The echoes will teach him that
Providence has pitched necessarily on
higher key than dignity.
Desire may speak in measured elo.
quence, but need gauges not its cry to
heaven. Or does the refined qnadruped
despise the inferior brute because of the
mud on his coat. He tolls in the lOwly
field, even binds bis neck to the plow
and looks not back again; when all
more refined and spirited animals failed,
he dragged the nations burden unhinch-
ingly through storm and blast and
scorching heat, with patient fortitude
pulling it through slOughs Of despond
where no other creature could find bot
tom, and he stands now besmeared to
the very ears with the soil of duty.
claiming his corn at the crib. But he
whom no one saw through all the sacrl-
fees and labor, at the plow, in the slosh
or in the mire, is first At the mqnger, in
shining coat, clean, respectable, elegant,
and if he can't take the reward lie can
hinder it.
Perchance the laborer has no. finished
his task, has only paused in the midst OF
his service to reinforce his wasted DOW
ers. But his resources are cut of, there