The Colored citizen., 1894-10-15
SHEP

In our block, you see, and my window
overlooked the house of the people that
had the good fortune TO own him, or,
rather TO be owned by him. have often
thought that he regarded il in that light
himself. He was firmly convinced no
doubt that he employed this family to
work for him and To provide him with a
house and to do his cooking, in return
for which he allowed them to live with
him, and he even looked after them and
saw that they came to no harm.
And then there was the little old lady
next door. She was very poor and lone
ly little old lady, and people laughed at
her funny, old fashioned clothes and her
funny, old fashioned ways. But Sbep
didn't laugh. No, indeedl There must
have been some tender chivalry in his
heart, which would have marked him for
a gentleman If he had had two feet instead
of four, for whenever she went down town
Shcp went with her and protected her and
brought her back again.
However sound asleep he might be, the
click Of her gate latch never failed to
rouse him, and he was over the fence In
minute and walking grayely along by her
side. When she went into stores, he waited
for her at the door, and when she came
home he left her at her own gate, with an
awkward gambol or two at parting
Somehow, said the little old woman,
"the dog knows that I'm kind o. friend
less an lonesome like, with my old man an
the children all gone, an he's tryin to
make 1t up to me.
As for the little girls around the corner,
1t was well understood that they could not
play at all without Shep. He was as
much at home in their great, shady yard
as he was In his own. He played ball with
them by the ho~r, and the screams and
laughter of the children mingled pleasant
ly with Shops jubilant barking. When
they played dolls, Shep sat beside them
and held doll in his mouth when they
wanted him to, though / was never sure
that he liked the taste of the dolls. When
they played lady, Shep was lady, too,
ana whether he were calling or receiving
calls his manners were elegant beyond de.
scription.
Even Mike, the drayman, who lived
away down the street, was ON the friend
liest terms with Shep, and when he passed
morning and evening he always shouted
cordial "Hillo, Shepp' And there was
great multitude Of people who shook hands
with him over the fence every day, and
whom he greeted with that delighted
smile that was more eloquent than words.
Some of us recollect the time that Shep
went to church. All his life had been
consistent and well ordered, but somehow
he had never gone to church, and no one
had thought of such a possibility. Never
thelcss in he walked one Sunday when
the church was crowded, and with an air
of pleased surprise he promenaded up the
main aisle and looked about him. An
usher passed without noticing him and
was back at the door. The minister was
reading the last hymn. Shops whole air
showed that he was thinking:
well, this is finel Why have never
seen this beforei"
With joyful grins and much wagging of
his tail he recognized one after another of
his friends and insisted on sitting up and
shaking hands with them. The little
girls tried to choke back a giggle, but 1t
could not be done. They were playing
lady, Shep felt sure, so he sat down and
played lady little while, too, until it
dawncd upon him that the minister must
be talking to him. So he went up into
the pulpit to investigate.
The whole congregation saw Shep, bu.
no one could do anything. He looked q
the minister's face and wagged his tail In
the friendliest manner, but nothing came
of it. Then he looked over the congrega-
tion, glancing from face to face with self
possession that would have been worth
gold and diamonds to an orator.
Then the great pipe organ began, and
the choir arose to sing in the gallery back
of the pulpit. Shep cast an amazed and
Mortified look in that direction and started
to retreat, but his emotions overpowered
him, and he threw back his head and gave
utterance to howl that was full Of de-
spair.
Well, the ushers got him out, and that
was the last of Shops churchgoing.
Early one morning u sad piece of news
spread through the neighborhood like wild
fire. The family had been reused during
the night by a savage growl a scream of
pain, oaths and a wild struggle. In the
hall below they found burglar down on
the floor with Shops teeth fastened in his
throat and u knife i'm his hand red with
the dogs blood.
The burglar was secured, but they
scarcely waited to see about that-these
people that loved the dog more than any
thing the burglar could have taken. They
were down on the floor around him, trying
to check the blood that flowed so fast from
his faithful heart. One of the best ply
sicians in the town was sent for and came
and worked us faithfully with the dog as
though the dog had been a millionaire.
With the first glimpse of day came the
little old woman and then the little girls,
and after awhile the house was full of peo-
pie. Shcp looked up at every one, Tapped
his tail fcebly on the floor, and did his
best to show them how pleased he was.
Doubtless in his rapidly darkening vision
these familiar faces were pleasant to look
upon and filled his dying dreams with vi
sions of the scenes and the people he loved.
If he might have lived little longer,
he would have wondered what IL meant
when tears fell thick and fast upon his
silky, yellow hair. He had known 50 lit
tie of what sorrow really was himself, and
here were so many people weeping around
him.
And here was the little old woman say
ing: You must not notice IL | weep.
True, have had greater sorrows, but
have grown to love this one creature, and
think he understood me"
His grave is down in corner of the
lawn, where he used to play. 1t is green