The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-12
Sleepy Mans Speech.

When newspaper writers IN WASH
ington are "shy" Of good stories they
have only to look into the career Of
Hon. George Vest, Senator from the
great State Of Missouri. There the
fund Of good material is apparently
inexhaustible. Walter Wellman has
been taking turn at Vest, and finds
new story that is worth repeating.
The scene is located in Missouri, OF
course, and the preliminaries tell how
| Vest was employed by man whose
dog had been shot by a neighbor.
Other eminent counsel attended to all
the preliminaries Of the fight, while
Vest was there, his head sunk down
between his shoulders. and apparently
asleep. Finally his associate nudged
him and told him that he must make
the concluding speech. He demurred, !,
but seeing he must do something to
earn the fee which had been paid him,
rose and after gazing earnestly at the
jury for some minutes, began speech
of which this is stenographic copy:
"Gentlemen of the Jury-The best
friend man has in this world may
turn against him and become his enc
my. His son or daughter that he has
reared with loving care may prove un-
grateful. Those who are nearest and
dearest to US, those whom we trust
with our happiness and our good name,
may become traitors to their faith.
The money that man has he may
lose. It aies away from him, perhaps
when he needs it most. A man s
reputation may be sacrificed in mo-
ment Of i'll considered action. The
people who are prone to fall on their
knees to do us honor when success is
with us may be the first to throw the
stone of malice when failure settles
its clouds upon our heads. The one
absolutely unsel6sh friend that man
can have in this selfish world, the one
that never deserts him, the one that
never proves ungrateful or treacher-
Gus, is his dog.
Gentlemen Of the jury the Sena-
tor continued, "a mans dog stands by
him in prosperity and in poverty, in
health and in sickness. He will sleep
on the cold ground, where the wintry
winds blow and the snow drives fierce
ly, il only he may be near his masters s
side. He will kiss the hand that has
no food to offer, he will lick the
wounds and sores that come in en-
counter with the rcughness Of e
world. He guards the sleep of his
pauper master as if he were prince,
When all other friends desert he re-
mains. When riches take wings and
reputation falls to pieces he is as con-
slant in his love as the sun in its
journey through the heavens. If for
tune drives the master forth an out
cast in the world, friendless and home
less, the faithful dog asks no higher
privilege than that of accompanying
him, to guard against danger, to fight
against his enemies, and when the last
scene Of all comes, and death takes
tie master in its embrace and his body
is laid away in the cold ground, no
matter if all other friends pursue their
way, there by his graveside will the
noble dog be found, his head between
his paws, his eyes SAD but open in
alert watchfulness, faithful and true
in death
What followed the veracious Well
man describes in this way:
''Then Vest sat down. This re-
markable speech he had delivered in a
low voice, without gesture. No
reference had he made to the merits
of the case in hand. Not word had
he uttered about the evidence. When
he finished judge and jury were seen
to have tears in their eyes. The jury
filed out aud in minute or two re-
turned TO the court room. The plain
tiff had asked for $500 damages. The
verdict gave him $500, and several Of
the jurymcn wanted to hang the de-
fendant. st. Louis GloJc-Democrat.
Our baby has been continually
troubled with collie and cholera infan-