The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-08
AnOld Mans Story
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fenseless dog had taken refuge from
their tormenting attentions. Some |
were lying fiat on the ground peerlng
under: some were hurting small mis-
siles as far as they could reach. while
two others, more enterpr1sing still.
were trying to pull up board in the
floor.
Amid their excited shouts Of There
he is; I see him." Hold on, there, Ill
fix him!" and kindred EXPLANATIONS,
they did not hear carriage wheels In
the soft, dusty road or see the occu-
pant, until a quiet voice said:
What Is 1t, boys?'
One or two skunk away in shame
faced manner, but two or three others
began all together to tell him what
their victom was.
HE hain't nobody's dog" said one.
"'Nd we think he's got hydropho-
bia," said another, while third added:
Hes no count dog anyhow, nd If
we can git him out we're going to tie
stone to his neck md down him over
in Simmond's pond"
HAS he bitten any of you?" the
quiet voice inquired again.
He sort O. snapped at Wallie's hand,
nd he'd a bit me if / hadn't been too
smart for him. said the largest boy.
while "Wallie" examined his dirty fin
gers with a martyr-like air.
II suppose you boys were quietly
| playing somewhere and the dog pitched
/ into you?'
There was profound silence for
! few moments, when one bright-eyed
| little fellow said manfully: mo, mis-
ter, he didn't. He was lynn down by
ri,,
it, ye know-nd we sort got to pleg-
gin, md pesterin' him, nd twas when
Wallie snatched the bone that he
| snapped"
Have you time to listen to an old
| mans stOry?"
Instantly sticks and stones were
dropped, though two of the lads tried
to put on an Indifferent front. Driv-
ing his horse into the shade of the
building, the stranger began:
you boys do not realize it any more
than did when l was a boy, but new
ertheless it is true that every day OF
our lives we write out a page in the
book Of life; and when one is old he
has a great deal OF time in which he
must look back and read over these
pages. and when l saw you tormenting
that helpless dog it seemed as if some
unseen finger swiftly turned the leaves
of my life back to a page-a page
which l wish to God could be blouted
out forever, but 1t never can. No. boys.
we may be sorry for things, may get
forgiveness for them, may even forget
them for a time; but If we do a wrong,
it is somehow bound to rise up before
us at times when we least expect 1t. /
%l,,e
entirely away from our wrong doing.
But l did not intend to preach a SER
mon, but to tell you story.
LAS a boy l was naturally cruel;
delighted to rob birds nests, torment
cats and dogs, and smaller children
AS I grew older l helped my father on
the farm. l was rebuked for my abuse
of the animals, and my mother used tic
say that If she had her way 1 would
never get q horse to go anywhere
Also as 1 grew older, became fond O.
hunting, and spent many days with
my noble dog Stanley in the woods.
protested to be very good to him; bu
of q truth the tender mercies OF thu
wicked are cruel and when 1 think o
the whippings and kicks the noble fel
low received from me while, as l calle'
| i
!, at the affection he gave me in return
( but the worst was yet to come.
He had never been a good retriever
You know what that is, of course
u dog that will go anywhere after yo
. have shot your game, and bring it t
- you without mussing or tearing it i
the least. l had repeatedly beate
Stanley for his failure in this lin,
&c though l knew it came from the fac
- that his former master had whippe
IL him for carrying home dead chickens
or anything like that he found in tn
neighborhood during his puppy day
true TO his retrieving instinct. On
day, while shooting ducks, l said I
81 him: Now. sir, you'll bring me thu
t, bird out there on that island or L
~ kill you; do you understand it?'
n shall always think he did, from tt
ie troubled look he gave me, and IL
n pleading way in which he crept to N
u side and attempted to caress my han
Id Roughly l shook him off and bat
le, him go fetch the bird. Obediently
CT plunged into the ice-cold water, swa
lie to the island, and then stood in an
e resolute, troubled manner beside Il
OF duck. Angriiy l shouted my orde,
er but he only put his nose on 1t. tn,
OF swan back toward me. 1 sent hi
ne back three times; then he attempt
lis to land. l knew that ne was t
'ly chilled to make it possible for him
1t return to the island, but my passi
mastered me, and again and again