Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-01-03

treading now and then in the dogs
honest blood.
The human brute came before the
pentant, as was his won't, and was
discharged as usual, with a reprimand.
What had really happened? The
watehmen 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 or
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
on the bench beside his door, with a
groan. A white spotted thing, scarce
ly having the semblance of a 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 Gown.
The creature was sightless, his head
almost bruised to jelly. He had
three bullet wounds; one leg was
broken. But he had obeyed orders to
the last; he had come home to break
fast!
Good deg! Yeth he it'll! 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; a strange exaltation, new per-
ception of heretofore vague truths. a
new dawning of light had come to the
master. even new power to resolve
and to hold firm. When Death opens
the door into the UNKNOWN, the life
here suddenly takes on a 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,
TIE 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 inefiable came to
both. The dog died into we know not
what, brutality murdered, crucified for
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 a
human love has done less.
There was a rustic behind him, I'M
usual in that solitude, the rustic Of a
woman's gown.
''Petei 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. | was
in the park last night; the men were
chasing me; | ran, | did not know
you and he were under the tree. The
dog knew me, he parked and jumped
On me and was glad. | 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 | had
come home"
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 pity
of it, groveling at his feet as the dog
mad done only yesternight, kissing the
hands which had beaten her, as the
dog had only now donel Was he a
man? Then how could he forgive her?
Was he not worse than a brute, far
worse than the brute in his arms. in
all true moral worthiness? How then
could he drive her forth who was only
what he had made heri
She coughed again, and again. tie
blood was on her hand. A sadcan
tenderness swept over him. She too,
had come into the magic circle which
had contained himself, Death. and his
brute friend. Compared with his I'M
worthiness, what was her fault, this
frail little wife whom he had driven
to despair?
"Katei' he said: Kate, Thank God
you have come back to mel" He was
on his knees at her SIDE wiping the
fresh red drops from her lips, the
meaning of which both knew too well.
God help me. l will try to be a man
from this hour. | think the brute |
was, is dead! Take what | am and
forgive me. Kate"
And SO, with the lesser brute at
their feet. they put their degraded past
behind them, pledged a new troth and
began new life in which it was writ
ten that they should not fail. having
beyond Death an Infiite Lover for
their Helper