Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-06-29
THE FELLOWSHIP OF DOGS.
Always Hope For a Man Who Is Fond
Of an Ordinary Cur.

| have seen a few wretches in my
day, but ] never saw one so utterly
lost to decency that he could not be
iattered by the friendly attentions
of a strange dog. There is u great
lesson in that. No matter how su-
periOr We try to seem to ourselves
and Others, a small voice within us
will not let us wholly forget what
humbugs We are. In the presence
of our kind we are brazen. The
calm gaze of child sometimes
shakes our self confidence. The
knowing look of dog skaters it.
There is something in brute psy-
chology that perplexes the intel
lect of man and disorganizes his in
tuition. Man is so made that what
he cannot understand exercises
greater influence over him than that
which he can. In the presence of
many phenomena he reveals himself
openly and quite unconsciously. He
is then no longer master of the forti-
tications of his soul. He drops his
mask-his grotesque outer garb-
his brazen shield falls to the ground,
and he either cowardly retreats or
succumbs without resistance.
There is some hope for the man
who is capable of feeling ashamed
iii the presence of an honorable dog.
That man has avenues open to him
for advancement. His soul is still
tit for expansion. His brain is some
thing more than a dried nut. His
heart has not turned entirely into a
thing of rubber and valves. When
strange dog greets him he thinks
better of q lself. uneonseiously he
reasons: ~ ilIain that | am, am
not so bad after all as might be.
You can't fool dog, and dog is no
hypocrite Therefore | have good
i'll me which he recognizes" The
fellow is little surprised at him
self and not a little ilattered. If
noble dog shows him marked favor
he becomes stuck up almost inn
mediatsly. If several dogs should
display great preference and aifeo-
ton for his person he would soon
become uncomfortable To society
quite too vain for association with
men. Contrariwise, should dogs
bark at him generally or perchance
should one bite him he would not
feel himself good enough to associ-
ate with snakes, but would forth
with get himself locked up as vie
| tim of hysterical rabies, and if Ee
had any pathetic kinfolk at large
/ they would at once insist upon hay-
ING the dog put TO death.
For nay own part have learned
q great dead FROM dogs. II lam nat
uraL thr} SIT me tine example in
early childhood. If am faithful to
friend through his disgrace and
disaster | cannot deny that a dog re-
vealed this nobility of character to
me for the first time in my life. If
| have gratitude, | saw it first in a
dog. IT | have enterprise, he did
not neglect my early lessons. If |
have initiative, SO had my first dog
/ friend. If am atfectionate, so was
he. If | am patient III adversely
and without arrogance in at1iuence
| could not have acquired this poise
of mind better from men than from
dogs. If am watchful over weak
ness entrusted to my care, if | am
forgetful of self in guarding my be-
loved. if | have the courage of my
convictions, if | have any heroic in
stincts | could have had no better
teacher than a dog. Indeed the love
of dogs, their association and ex-
ample have filled my life with joy.
-Culturist Magazine.