Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-08-15
Bitten By a Dog.

bltJen ny a log
There's shadow in the pathway.
u light gone out in this house, Il skcl-
cton rafting III this closet. | am all
undonc, broken up, ruined crushed.
withcrcd, torn to pieces. am bitten
by dog, yea verify by Il yellow dog
al that. This is the unkindest cut "I
all; for if any poor dumb brute ever
had friend, true and loyal, l have
been friend TO the yellow dog. Had
it been any other color, this poor
heart could have lived on; but TO be
bitten by a yellow dog - It's too
much-it brushes, chills every nerve
and tendon, and fibre in this frame,
withers every fond ambition, brushes
every budding hope, leaves this life
dreary waste place, an arid desert,
0aslslesS and parched. Some of the
tenderest memories of my life are as
sociated with the yellow dog. low
in boyhood l used to follow them
over my own sunny hills, and then
later when the bright morn OF young
manhood dawned upon me and |
went out to battle with iron poverty,
how they would bay decp-mouthed
welcome home on my return. And
now TO think they had gone back on
me-'tis more than this poor heart
all torn aud bruised as il is by other
disasters can stand. There's nothing
more to live formow if the black an
gel were to shake his dark plume
here there would be ITO lodging.
This is how it happened There
were two of them. The little black
one ran up in front. The old yellow,
grim and surly attacked me i'll the
rear. The old lady, heaven bless her.
aid, "Come in, they won't bite
you; all you have to do is to walk on
and pay no attention to them l
could not help giving them teni.on
in fact would as soon try TO pass II
hornets nest without giving it atten-
ton as to pass by two dogs and try to
treat them with silent contempt. /
muchcd the little one, called him
pct names. l wished to grow very
friendly with him on short acquain-
lance. ! had seen strong men, men
able to battle with wild beasts and
the raging clements completely
charmed and captured by the soft lus-
ire of blue eye. used all my arts
on this little dog. | won him over
He was mine. There was no doubt
of it. lie fondlcd on me, looked mt
in the eyes, as much as TO say, "ComC
what will, we are from now Oh fas
friends; nothing can separate lis
nothing but death can break thes,
chains that bind our souls together.
But his partner, that trcacherous ras
cal, that back bitter, that smcoth-facc,
yellow hypocrite with a heart iillc'
with ingratitude, with death in hi
eye and hell in his heart, grabbed nj
cfaunched his iron gums over IN
quivering flesh, tore inc, bruised me
= ruined my new pants, walked o
with the calf Of my right leg in hi
) mouth. screamed, | danced aroun
o on one leg. My hollow eyes did uttt
streams Of woe, my blood painted Il
heather red, my fleshless bones rattle
in the passing breeze. The dog wen
off, and the good old lady stood thel
y with her hands on her hips, with hi
pipe in her mouth and a look of S,
u renily OH hei.countenancc that bet'
kened fortitude that is found on
u in heroes and hcroines, and asked
-" tones no louder than she would hay
used if addressing throne of grac
" "Mister, did he bite you ?" / locke
d at the empty space which only fe
e. moments ago my leg filled. locke
r at pool of blood before me.
!. looked at the excavations in Il
Is ground caused by the struggle.
Is looked at my flcshless bones, and a
III swcrcd, "Madam, rather think
III did" / have gone through MAJ
III trying scenes in my chcckered Iii
IN but | never realized anything Ii
III this before. | have been kicked
nc mule, thrown from an OK, crush
in a sorghum mill, stung by an arm
r. o. yellow jackets, all doubled up f
.st days at time with the old-fashion
to boy bellyachc; but | never eXpe
he enced anything like the sensatio
ly caused by the grip of strong-jaw
tn yellow dog. l am done with yellC
Id dogs forever. This friendship Is
d. delusion, this touch pollution, tn
rY are cheat and Il fraud, sham a
at, shame. They look as innocent
rs an opening rose bud; but they
lis more trcachcrous than the serpt
ct. that lies coilcd beneath it.
les HIRAM
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