Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-02-21

the grass.
All this time, in the densest shadow
of the park, woman huddled herself
under a bush, holding her draperies
tightly lest flutter should betray her
to these brawlers. Once she coughed
convulsively, and when she took her
hand away from her mouth 1t was
bloody.
Go home to breakfast! Go home
to break fast" Even she had heard
and was repeating 1t.
Yes, poor brute! We will go home
once more, once more, together! and
she crept away by the same path,
treading now and then in the dogs
honest blood.
The human brute came before the
court next morning. Sobered and re-
pentant, as was his wont, and was
discharged as usual, with reprimand.
What had really happened? The
watchmen said the dog was mad;
they had shot and killed him.
Why go home? No one was there to
meet him! All these five years the
dog-yes, the dog had been faithful
The other one-why go home? Habit
That was ALL At the gate he rested
and whistled. by habit Echoes of the
whistle came from an empty house
whose door stood wide. No fire on
the hearth, no breakfast Then he
remembered his own last words to his
only friend, whom he had kicked and
driven away to be shot. He sat down
ho \, ,ic. wit o
groan. A white spotted thing, scarce
ly having the semblance of dog,
crawled from under the bench and
laid its shapeless nose on his knee. He
took the dumb brute in his arms and
went into the house and sat down
The creature was sightless, his head
almost bruised to jelly. He hac
tn oe bullet wounds; one leg was
broken. But he had obeyed orders to
the last; he had come home to break.
fast!
Good dog! Yeth he ith! My good,
good dog!" The tears were raining
down the bloated cheeks. A new
power had come near to these two
friends Death was with them, wait
ing; strange exaltation, new per-
ception Of heretofore vague truths,
new dawning Of light had come to the
master, even a new power to resolve
and to hold firm. When Death opens
the door into the unknown, the life
here suddenly takes on new mean
ing. The big brute holding the lesser
so tenderly suddenly remembered how
his mother had died, holding him, her
last-born in her arms, her lips on his
golden hair.
Then another picture floated up. His
own life-better if she had died. Five
years ago she had left him, tired OF
poverty and beatings. Only the dog
had been faithful to him through all.
the good dog now dying in his arms.
the dogs life so much worthier than
his own. Never had he seen himself
as he was, before, not in all his forty
years.
Lower sank the head of the man
to the head of the beast and only God
knows what soul-speech was had be-
tween them; and while they so sat
together a change ineffable came tc
both. The dog died into we know not
what, brutally murdered, crucified fol-
loves sake though he was: while the
man died out Of his old life and was
born anew to mans rightful dignity
self control, energy of will. The love
of the brute had saved him: many
human love. has done less.
There was a rustic behind him, un-
usual in that solitude, the rustic of
womans gown.
Pete. o Pete, don't strike me! Let
me come back, let me come home
again, just as the dog came! Won't
you forgive me, won't you let me have
the dogs place, just for little while
it can't be long! Look at me. l was
in the park last night; the men were
chasing me- | ran, l did not know
you and he were under the tree. The
dog knew me, he barked and jumped
on me and was glad. l saw it all.
followed and picked him up and
brought him home, part way in my
arms-see the blood where he lay!
Let me stay Pete, o for Gods sake
don't send me into the awful street
again, Do try me, don't push me
away. Don't be crueller than the dog
was; he kissed me and was glad | hae
come home"
o the misery, the horror. the shame
OF it. Only God could know which
of these two was lowest in the scale
which OF the three indeed! o the pit,
OF it, groveling at his feet as the dos
had done Only yesternight, kissing the
hands which had beaten her, as the
dog had only now done! Was he
man? Then how could he forgive heri
Was he not worse than brute, fan
worse than the brute In his arms, In
all true moral worthiness? How ther
could he drive her forth who was cnly
what he had made her!
She coughed again. and again. the
blood was on her hand. A sudcer
tenderness swept over him. She too
had come. into the magic circle which