The Forrest City times., 1901-04-05
PLEDGE.

PLEDGE. VI will try to be kind to all living creat-
 ures, and try to protect them from cruel
 usage.
 GLOVE surrERETH We hope all who IoNa AND IS KIND" read the following pathetic story will become so deeply im- pressed by the cruel and inhuman man. ner in which this faithful dumb creature was treated, merely because she was too feeble to draw the heavy load required Of her by the cruel master, will resolve to use all their influence toward having all dumb animals. unable to do good service, tenderly and lovingly cared for. There are few acts nlure unchristian, than the disposing of horse, COW, dog or any ami nal, when they have grown too old and in firm to bs helpful in anyway to us, to avoid the expense and work of caring for them. By administering to the wants of Gods helpless creatures, either human or dumb, we are brought into the realization of the true meaning of the Masters words: < It is more blessed to give than recieve. '" No thought, word or act of kindness eyer returns to us unladen with joy and power. So let Us ever strive to let the beautiful Christ spirit show forth in our lives by doing all we can to alleviate suffering wherever we find 1t.
 "OId Kate was an honest, trusty, fami- ly horse, and when she was young, every body who seen her said she was perfect beauty. She had great endurance and was true as steel. She spent all her life in the service of one man-one very cruel man-wh0 was never known to be thank tul for what this animal had done, or to say, Kate's getting tired. we'll not crowd her. or Kate is faithful What help she has been to us since the day she was broke. No he never thought of that He was always yelling: Git up there v and cracking his long whip over her back. and on it, too, many times every work day.
 Finally she grew old and one day she was hitched to heavy load with \ new young horse. It was too much fer her old body; she could not pull her hall of the load. Then her cruel master got of aud beat her, using horrible oaths and kicks. She tried hard, she strained until her eyes stood out of their sockets, but she could not pull with the young horse
 "T The man went and got fence rail and was about to pound her with that when one Of his neighbors came along.
 "What's up Jake? Stuck?"
 "Stuck nowhere That blamed old mares got her back up. She won't pull, and I'll pound it out of her
 "Why, Jake, the old girl Is worked down. Think how hard you have worked her, man, and you know she was always willing. Poor old girlia; she's about ready to go up the spout, Jake
 [" l know she ain't wuth much-ain't fiji to wi. ter. but want her to pull this lead home-then I'm done with Ter. "
 It was useless, she could not draw the load. and the kind hearted neighbor put hs own team in and took it to it's destina tion.
 Oid Rates faithful body had at last failed her, she could no longer serve lei masters will and her fate was sealed She disappeared from the barn, the barn yard and from the fields and pastures oi her lalo. Where?
 One day the neighbor who had pleaded for Kate was at the home of the man who worked her 80 many years.
 "How's your stock wintering Jake ?' said he. [" Where's old Kate ?"
 ' Oh, she want no good turned hel in hack lot to die. 1 didn't want to kill her.r
 "where ?n
 "Oh. up on the clay nnb, over back wonder out of sight. didn't want to see her starve. so put her out of sight
 Old Kate's bones was found there in the spring. She had paved great hole ID the ground in her efforts to get water. bat she got none. She had hunted for food. but there was none, and she finally d d of hunger, thirst and cold--homeless aud shelteress-her bleeehed and glistenias 2 carcass forming grim monument to her owners degredation and cruelty. Ana while Kate was slowly dying, her mastt I was attending revival at the church trying to bring sinners to the feet oi Christ. To Christ, the gentle, loving Nszarene! How God must have despared over the work of whitening is black heart. If he had been humanelg y educated when a boy, humanity need nol have had the black blot of his cruelty up on its pages.
 If ministers had preached more about our duties to one another, and to Out dumb creatures. making that part of re- ligion. how much pain might have been prevented. Thanks 10 our humane work CTS, members of the clergy are fast being awakened to their duties.
 What is sadder than to see horse down in the harness, his last bit of strength ex- hansted in the vain effort to haul an over loaded wagon? 1 have seen it few times in the streets of our surging cltieS. where the yoiceless have so poor show ing. y
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