The Atlanta constitution., 1896-06-01
The Death of Rags.


P.ns belonged 20 a sawyer. who one das
rot caught in the machinery OF the saw
mill ami met his death before any one
could reach hirl- Rags saw the cruel t"e'h
coming nearer and nearer. hut coniu hot
drag his master away. though he tried Win
al his loving might
These two hal lived their simple lives To-
s-efrter- and when the sawyer vas laid un-
der sh. churchyari daisies RAGS was left
FIo-fe 20 wander hack and forth between the
low. guie. mound ami the noisy old mhl-
Th. next man al tine mill did not care for
6o-s. hut he never drove the gentle Great
,1-e away. and Il anything was left At
Iuush time hs seldom forgot 10 toss IL 10
Eaes. Eut h.- never thought 10 toss a
rsreasaut word or "a say whistle along with
Il To cheer the dogs heart n wei as his
stomach. and the hours often came 20 poor
Rags when his heart WAS even hunsrier
than his stomach
lie tried 90 make friends wi;h the truant
Iovs that louugeti about tire OLD pond He
guarded their clothes while tlsey were swim
rrfuz. fetched the sticks tfcy tossed upon
the water and almost every time brought
hack the marked stones they had thrown
SIS FAR as tiey could
AMI this is the way they repaid such gen
Il behavior
one autumn day when % was 50 cold
thar out could lse rcmfor lsi,- only "a the
sunshine tire boys began throwing sticks
into the water and sending Rags out after
them He plunged H. once, twice and came
out shivrriu- but glad To be Of interest
70 any one \ nObody's dog IS quite con-
Seiou~ II the fact that he IS noh0dy's dog
lie may appear very gay sometimes. bUt ID
Is only because ms lowing heart IS trying
IN ~oax some one 10 come into Il and make
s. happy third stick and fourth were
ehruwu- The chills.I. rrluct taut creature
brought them hack. But Al tine nlth Ae
whtned and WagEed his tail. ani lid his
very to-'s best TO make them understand
how harl q thing this was that they we're
asking % hlm-
But the sum shone warmly upon their
ovu shoulders They must have sport
THE biggest brlliy Of them all threw stone
with such perfect aim that poor Rags gave
. sharp yelp ~ pain ami plunged agssiu i'm
10 the chilling water He Wa long in
Trarhn- the floating stick Even thcn he
PASSED BE- ouCe--far he appeared go be "A
lIcrle lazel-au5 when ar last he was ready
To Swim ashore hs seemed not to know In
which direction Sc iay-
one ~ the lDuuEers gave careless laugh.
RzES heard him. turned slowly ami SWAN
toward them FOR moment. then sank out
~ SIGHT -tf- IS drowning erie,i "a dis
trcsseI voice. and the lsttI- daughter Of th.
Few mill owner came spriuEiu- from lo- Co
lc- until she reached the one nearest the
shore Then she Aancl FAR forward to-
look for poor Rags.
The IpuuE-rs scrambled 20 their feet. T-il.
head ~ Ra=s appeared again. The little
Elrl cried out encouraEeErut One of the
aroused iLiers gave a whistl. 90 cheer hirn
onward Eut after q faint struggle DE- s.nt
down again with rhe cruel stuck between
n faithful teeth
Then Turner Robbins threw or hfs coat
Hut boots and before the others realized
what DEE VI doiH= d. had brought the dog
ss-Cre- and was kuseiiug beside him upon
tre yellow sawduSi. Squeezing the Wa Ter
from h.s Ions thick FUR
THE little CfrI Euelt too. Sine smoothrI the
POOR. w-t head. and cried over brliise
that Tie heavy stone had made
The uor4S she Ulurruurel were so kInI
thar RAGS Opened his eyes as wide 49, Is
could lie tried 20 urIcl- up his ears that had
grown So heavy. and Ghen he saw rhe -.u-
tie fare htuliuE over him DE seemed really
20 know flat Tie tears were Tor him. a,.i
lftIns one of hls paws a little De tried To
reach pc toward hfr fu a friendly greeting.
enc r4trerl-E sigh escaped him and fh.
troubles q poor. ECntIe-hearted Rags were
over
Then the H,tl~ daughter of the new min
owner sprung 20 her feet.
"N~u are mu-lerers-' she cried. sever,
one = YOU
Anf- as she turned her shining eyes uron
them- they f-ll backward. one hy- one. ANA
tired e. - EHird each other.
Nntlin' lut Deg said one or them
Furiiiiy- TIL amt 40 sense ia making
such a fuss
'''iod made dogs iust as wen as he mad,
men, said the little accu.er- And Ia
rather he doE than 10 l.e such a man as
sou are going - bee
Turner Robbins iookei mp into hcr fae.
lie was still kneelius beside poor Rags. ana
he was drenchei and cold lie said some
thiuE. he hardly knew what. but ID meant
that he was ashamed of his share iu The
lad business. and thar be- intended 10 lie. q,
different hoy from that moment
After that one ~ them Slipped away au,s
found a broken shovel and q grave. Wa
made IN the sunny slope behind the oi,i
mill Tut before the last lit Of TURF han
been relall. each loy. iu his own Rough.
honest fashion. had given the mill owners
i.sfI. daughter 20 understand that he vss
sorry and ashamed ana that. with the ga
ing out o. tire innocent life al poor RAGS
there had entered into hiss own heart a new