The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17
EDITED BY f,tRy.W.RlChlp

left alone to wander back and forth be-
tween the low quiet mound and the noisy
old mill.
The next man at the mill did not care for
dogs, but he never drove the gentle crea-
ture away, and If anything was left at
lunch time he seldom forgot to toss 1t to
Rags. But he never thought to toss
pleasant word or gay whistle along with
it, TO cheer the dogs heart as well as ms
stomach, and the hours often came TO
poor Rags when his heart was even
nungrier than his stomach.
He tried to make friends with the truant
boys that lounged about the old pond. He
guarded their clothes while they were
swimming, fetched the sticks they tossed
upon the water, and almost every time
brought back the marked stones they had
thrown as far as they could.
And this is the way they repaid such
! gentle behavior.
One autumn day, when it was so cold
that one could be comfortable only in the
sunshine, the boys began throwing sticks
INTO the water and sending Rags out after
them. lie plunged in once, twice and
came out shiverIng, but glad to be OF in
terest to any one. a nobody's dog is
quite conscious of the fact that he is no.
body's oog. He may appear very gay
sometimes, but is only because his loving
| heart is trying to coax some one to come
into it and make it happy. A third stick
and fourth were thrown. The chilled,
reluctant creature brought them back
But at the fifth he whined AID wagged his
tail, and did his very dogs best TO make
them understand how hard a thing this
was that they were asking OF him.
But the sun shone warmly upon their
own shoulders. They must have sport.
The biggest bully of them all threw stone
with such perfect aim that poor Rags gave
sharp yelp of pain and plunged again
int ha oh vofn ~ a
reaching the floating stick. Even then he
passed it once-for ne appeared TO be a
little daZed-and when at last he was
ready 10 swim ashore he seemed not to
know in which direction it lay.
One of the loungers gave q careless
laugh. Rags heard him, turned slowly,
and swan toward him for moment, then
sank out OF sight. "He's drowning, cried
a distressed voice, and the little daughter oi
the new mill-owner came sprnglng from
log to log until she reached the one nearest
the shore. Then she leaned far forward
TO look for poor Rags.
The loungers scrambled to their feet
The head of Rags appeared again. The
little girl cried out encouragement. One
of the reused idlers gave whistle to cheer
him onward. But after faint struggle
he went down again with the cruel stlcs
still between his faithful teeth.
Then Turner Robbins threw of his coat
and boots, and before the others realized
what he was doing he had brought The
dog ashore and was kneeling beside hin
upon the yellow sawdust, squeezing the
water from his long, thick fur.
The little girl knelt too. She smoothed
the poor, vet head and cried over a bruiSe
that the heavy stone had made.
The words she murm ured were so kind
that Rags opened his eyes as wide as he
could. He tried to prick up his ears that
had grown so heavy; and when he saw
the gentle face bending over him he
seemed really 10 know that the tears were
for him, and lifting one of his paws little
he tried to reach it toward her in a friendly
greeting. One huttering sigh escaped
him, and the troubles OF poor, gentle
hearted Rags were over.
Then the little daughter OF the new mill
owner sprang to her teet.
"You are murderersl" she cried, "every
one of you!"
And, as she turned her shining eye
upon them, they fell backward, one by
one, and tried TO get behind each other.
"Nothin' but a dog" said one OF then
surlily. 'Th' amt no sense in making
such fuss
:, God made dogs just as well as he made
men" said the little accuser. And IL
rather be dog than to be such man a
you are going TO be-"
l Turner Robbins looked up into her face
He was still kneeling beside poor Rags
and he was drenched and cold. He saiC
{ something, he hardly knew what, but i
meant that he was ashamed OF his share
in the bad business, and that he intended
, to be u different boy from that moment
: After that one OF them slipped away anC
found broken shovel and a grave wa
made on a sunny slope behind the ole
mill. But before the last pit of turf haC
been relaid. each boy, in mis- own rough
e honest fashion, had given the mill owner
! little daughter to understand that he wa
y sorry and ashamed and that, with the go
ing out of the innocent life of poor Rag
1 there had entered into his own heart
4 new feeling of mercy and kindness 70
. every creature that can suffer and die.-
e Our Animal Friends.