Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-04-20
KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.
A Philadelphia Doctor Plays the Samarl-
tan with Questionable Success.


tan with Questionable Success.
A good friend Of mine. a kind
hearted man. loving and gentle ard
quiet. although Philadelphian. held
me the other day until l missed q
train while he did a plain, unvarnished
tale. perfectly rigid with cold fact un-
fold 1t seems that DIR. Armluther. for
it was he. went home the other even
ing-I forgot which other one-and
found awaiting his home coming. cow
ering in the vestihule of the palace,
a plain, plebeian ''yella" dog. the |
sands of whose life were liable to run |
ont through his ribs unless they were
soon caullxed with bread and meat and
some sort OF food. DR.. Armluther
stopped upon the pebbly strand. as it
were. to examine the inscription on
the dogs collar and there read: DIR.
Mayfeld, Lansdowne." Not alone pro-
fessional courtesy, but the promptings
of a kind heart and the influence of
early education urged my friend to
give the dog ''rest and guide and
food and fire. When boy many and
many time had he read stories of
boys who had befriended lost and
homeless dogs, giving them shelter
Tor the night and crusts of bread
despsed of all boys and most
dogs-to eat and has then, leading
the dog home to his master,
gone straight away and married
the bankers daughter, or else paid off
the mortgage on the farm for the poor
old father or had been elected Cover
nor. or something OF that sort. Never
failed. Well the doctor decided to
keep the dog over night. But the cat
objected. Such are the narrow results
Of lack of early education. Nobody
ever read the '.lost dog and good boy"
series to the cat when she was young.
She had always viewed the stray dog
question from the safe vantage ground
Of the shed roof, and when this lost
dog came into the dining-room for &
simple repast. the cat of the household
cried out with AN exceeding loud voice,
and smuggling up to the dog like a
house atire, made it interesting for him.
II was only IA few miles out to Lans-
downe, so the doctor decided to take
the dog home at once; he could send ii
out by the messenger. He tied a string
to the collar and went his way to the
station, dragging the reluctant dog,
who seemed to be a stranger in town
shy and bashful when he met a big dog
or a grown man, but insolent and ag
gressive when he met II pup or IA little
child. Arrived at the station, the
train and the messenger were gone
Never mind; another train in twenty
minutes. All aboard; brakeman order:
dog to baggage car. Doctor kicks
agrees to go into smoker, but draw.
the line at baggage car. Conductor
comes along, tears coupon out OF com
mutation book for passenger; twenty
five cents for the dog. DOCTOR" "Mon
strous; why the fare for IA grown mar
is only ten cents.' Cant help it
dogs are not humans; twenty-fv,
cents" ''Well, take it out of the book
Cant do that; the ticket book is no
good for other members of the family.
Doctor groaned and paid the fare. AL
out for Lansdowne. Dog gets into
fight in the station. Man is found Il
. last who knows where DIR. Maytielt
lives. "Yes. know him; used to liv,
here; moved into town last week. Live
on Walnut street." Train back in al
hour; dog whiles away the time b,
fighting other dogs, swapping at wait
.. ing passengers, making himself fresl
with every body when he is loose ant
, bowling like sin when he is tied o.
the car, makes rush for two peacea
Bile setter dogs belonging to a hunter
; licks the dogs but gets the stuffin,
kicked out him by the hunter. Crawl
under the seat and mutters all the res
of the way to city. Drunken man, at
tracted by dog, insists on crowding in
to seat with doctor, who is Prohi
bitionist, and entertaining him with doI
: lore and stories OF his own dogs; large
. ly apochryphal. Another twenty-tiv
+, cents for dog fare. Some trouble find
!, ing Dr. Maytield $ residence. Doctor ap
: pears; benevolent man says: "Doctor
I have brought your dog home after
: ! SFcdU ucil vi tTOuDlc, iiduy dHuOy
! ances, some cost in money and q grea
: loss of precious time. | wish. il
s return for all this, you woul'
either take off this collar or put OF
it your correct address. "Dr. Mayfiel'
: looks down at the dog with undis
a gused contempt: "Why, bless you, sir
o | hope you don't think l ever owne,
: such IA cur as that? Come now, that
too bad; | wouldn't have the brut
about me for any money" But it
your collar?' 80 yes; the collar whicl
Q you see is fine one, belongs to me
s 1t was on the neck of handsom
a spaniel, which belonged to my daugh
ter; some fellow stole the spaniel ant
Y evidently sold him, but kept tn
s collar. l will take the collar, If yo
. please but you are quite welcome t.
I the dog.
4 There was nothing more to be said
9 A moment later Dr. Armluther stoo'
!. on the marble doorstep, under the still
I shining stars, cold and clear in tn
n blue skies Of the winter night, alone
0 All, all alone. The dog had not com'
i down yet. don't think he is expecte'
a down before about the middle of Lent
|. A cold, bitter smile played over m.
8 friends genial face as he walked dow
!, the deserted street wrapped in his owl