The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-02
THE MURMUR
y OF THE WORLD

It is not saying much for the ordinary dog
to argue that any ordinary man is like unto
the faithfullest of all the animals of the
world. Proud man, false to so many true
things ana cruel to all creatures, has ever
sneered at the dog, the touch of whose
tongue he was no more worthy to feel than
to have the silent and suffering devotion of
the beast that lives upon the earth with
nobler qualities of character than hosts of
mankind ever came 60 know feel or COM
prehend. The most repulsive men are those
VINO Kick dogs. They are the class who
beat women and cuff children. Yet the
eynlc has spoken that a man never falls so
low that dog or a woman will not follow
him. To see a5great hullking knave SLOUGH
ing and sliding along, breathing foul oaths,
with the bully's swagger and the towards
leer, and followed by a patient red-eyed,
washed-out woman a starving dog, is
one of the most outrageous spectacles that
ever affronts heaven. The woman Is beat
en-, the dog kicked, and the noblest attrl-
butes of mercy and kind hearts are out
ragged by a man brute who ought to be
strapped across barrel and thrashed until
his coward s-tears flowed like some I'M
clean gutter. Yet such man, a free-born
=
citizen, one of our "soyereigns" forsooth,
would stab in the back or shoot from am
bush any person who should say of him
that he was mo gentleman or that he
was "a dog. God help the dog in the
comparison. As for the 'gentleman"-
why, dog-kickers and wife-beaters are
gentlemen nowadays Let us be thank
fus that merciful providence hath spared
to us a few men," and a few women"
shining lights amongst the vast hordes of
t11diaS'f nd tuan aoYl's tyhn NOR
or less unwashed.
Midnight had long gone past yestermorn
when man, weary and racked of pain in
sore-tried muscles and sorrow-tried heart
sat at the foot of hard steps and thought
of many things 'twere best to forget He
looked off to the far stars that stood out
distinctly and wondrousy bright against
the black-blue vault spanning space
illimtable, whilst the ebb and flow of the
restless tide of unrest sounded dirge-notes
upon the rocky shores of nameless regret.
In the unnamable thoughts there was no
light from the fair face of peace, but the
shadows settled down deeper and denser
and darker like some monstrous weight OF
oppression from which there was no visi-
BILE way of escape. His eyes saw the
stars, but heedlessy, as If they were only
half-sights within the thin wall of tears
that flowed not As the thus sat ana
pondered over his own sorrows, forgetful of
the griefs or happiness of others, he felt
suddenly a warm touch upon his hand. He
looked and a dog was standing at his feet.
He stopped and caressed the creature, and
then half questioned himself why he did so.
The dog he had not previously seen, and
as it stood wagging its tail and looking
friendly and sociable the man wondered
where it had come FROM 1t was monde
script sort of dog and did not appear to
have been cared for over-well; but it had
manners that were commendable. The
man stroked it gently. 1t licked the hand
caressingly, and then lay down on the
mans foot He asked himself why 1t lay
so; then why it was alone on the streets
at that hour. Probably its vancouver had
starved and kicked 1t. Possibly 1T had no
owner. The man forgot himself and his
own troubles in specializing about the I'M
known dog that lay upon his afflicted foot.
The moor brute looked at the human face
now and then appealingly; and by and by
the man took it to an eating-place and had
it fed. The greedy way in which the poor
starved thing ate its food was comforting
and soothing. After it had eaten what IL
wished, it put out its foot as II TO say
GOOD bye looked as If 1t desired TO say
some words of thanks, and then trotteu
away in the darkness The mans sorrows
had gone, too.
He would be great and noble man VINO
was possessed of the better qualities OF
good dog. Such man would never petray
his friends, never violate their commences
never SANDER them, BLACKBOARD or BACK
bite: never desert in misfortune prove
false or cowardly and run away; never
hurry to cover when storms threatened, or
pass by on the other side when illness or
want overtook never snarl or snap VI
grcwl or howl in peevishness, or 1l-humor'
never at any time be false or unlovlng, I'M
generous or unsympathetic. Find man
of these attributes, and acclaim him KING
of all men, and pray that he reign forever!
In him there shall abide no spirit
of bigotry, intolerance or small
mindedness; but he shall be moved
by the broadcast, truest, noblest I'M
pulses, which shall lift him above the
puere and contemplate things OF life INTO
an atmosphere not dreampt of by the dog
kicking and wife-beating gentlemen VINO
swagger their way through certain walks
of life. Take all classes of men as they
are found, and all sorts of dog-'mongrei,
puppy whelp and hound, and cur OF low
degree'-and in the comparison there Is
found much to shame man of mankind.
If the lessons the dog would teach us
were taken to heart the world would be
UNNECESSARILY better. What we call civi1-
cation would have a broader signlhcance;
would become in reality what it is in the
cry There would be a distinct raising of
the standard of men, and an Increase IN
the sum total of human comfort and happi-
ness. The disappontments of men be-
trayed would give place to the exaltation
of men defended and sustained; and we all
of us would know each other better, love
better be better.
| do beseech you,
Though L perchance am vicious in my
guess,
AS confess, it Is my natures plague
To spy into abuses; and. oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not,-I entreat you
them
From one that so imperfeetly connects,
You to take notice. build yourself a
trouble
Out of this scattering and insure observ-
ance.
Probably you will not build yourself a
trouble over the question as to whether
you are worthy to be likened unto a dog
of merit; nor is 1t of material Consequence.
In all conceit, you are likely to assume
yourself to have all the virtues; but that
will not better you, or the world. Unless
you are convinced that all is wrong with
you spiritually there can be no hope that
ANYTHING about will be riClt.