The Osceola times., 1878-05-11


them and they banished that sentiment; I;
whensyer | felt myself TO be selfish,
sordid aud ignoble, | turned to them.
and they lcld me what 70 do to win back
my seli-respect. Many times ] wished
that the charming anecdoes bad not
stopped with their happy climaxes, but
had continued the pleasing history Of the
several benefactors and benefeiaries.
fhis wish rose in my breast so persist
emily, that at last determined to satisfy
1t by seeking out the sequels OF those
anecdotes myseli. 60 set about it, and
after great labor and tedious research
accomplished my task | will lay the
result before you, giving you each anec-
dote in turn, and following it with its
sequel a. gathered it through my
investigations.
THE GRATEFUL POODLE.
One day a benevolent physician (who
had read the books having found a stray
poodle suffering from broken leg, con-
veyed the poor creature home, and after
setting and bandsging the injured limb
gave the little outcast his liberty again
and thought no more about the matter.
But how great was his surprise, upon
opening his door one morning, some days
later, TO find the grateful poodle patient
ly waiting there, and in its company with
another stray dog, one Of whose legs, by
some accident, had been broken. The
kind physician at once relieved the dis
tressed animal, nor did he forget to
admire the inscrutable goodness and
mercy OF God, who had been willing to
use so humble an instrument as the poor
outcast poodle tor theinculcating of, etc,
etc, etc.
Sequel-The next morning the benev.
olent physician found the two dogs, BEAM
ing with gratitude, waiting at his door,
and with them two other dogs-cripples
The cripples were speedily healed, and
the four went their way, leaving
the benevolent physician more over.
come by pious wonder than ever. The
day passed, the morning came. There
at the door sat now the four reconstructed
dogs, and with them four others equiring
reconstruction. This day also passed,
and another morning came; and now
sixteen dogs, eight OF them newly Grip
plef, occupied the sidewalk, and the
people were around. By noon the
broken legs were all set, but the pious
wonder in the good physicians breast
was beginning to get mixed with invol.
untary profanity The sun rose once
more, and exhibited thirty-two dogs,
sixteen of them with broken legs, occu
pying the sidewalk and half of the street;
the human spectators took up the rest of
the room. The cries of the wounded,
the songs of the healed brutes, and the
comments of the on looking citizens
made great and inspiring cheer, but
traffic was interrupted in the street. The
good physician hired couple
of assistant surgeons and got
through his benevolent wsrk before
dark, first taking the precaution to
cancel his church membership, SO that
he might express himself with the
latitude which the case required.
But some things have their limits.
When once more the morning dawned,
and the good physician looked out upon
a massed and far-reaching multitude of
clamorous and beseeching dogs, he said
Z" ] might as well acknowledge it, have
been fooled by the books; they only tell
the pretty part Of the story, and then
stop. Fetch me the shotgun; this
thing has gone along far enough"
lie issued forth with his weapon
and CHANGED to step upon the tail
Of the original poodle, who promptly
bit him in the leg. Now the great and
good work which this poodle had
been engaged in had engendered
in him such a mighty and augmenting
enthusiasm as to turn his weak head at
last and drive him mad A month later,
when the benevolent physician lay in the
death th-oes Of hydrophobis, he called
his weeping friends about him and said
Beware OF the books They tell but
half of the story. Whenever poor
wretch asks you for help, and you feel a
doubt as to what result may flow from
your benevolence, give yourself the
benefit of the doubt and kill the appli-
can't"
And SO saying he turned his face to
the wall and gave up the ghost