The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-09-10
THE QUALITY OF MERCY

paper man. Mr.. Watson is again en-
gagged in newspaper work in the Doinln-
ion having purchased the N~indicator
at Oshawa. where he is giving the
people a first class publication. The
following editorial which recently APP
reared in the indicator columns is
so typical of the man that there are
others besides ourselves who will no
doubt enjoy reading It'd. .
J People who are naturally cruel will
fail 10 understand the refinement OF
kindness told of in the story which
follows. A mother related 1T OF her
daughters childhood days and brought
a blush thereby to the cheek OF the
latter. now a woman in the thirties.
She had a little kitten of which she
was very fond. After the manner OF
his kind an ill-natured mongrel dog
snapped the kitten across the back
The little feline was wounded to- death
and was suffering horribly. Despite
the most assidous nursing the kitten
did not get any better, and the little
Girl was admonished and cajoled until
at last she arrived at the conclusion or
her elders that her pet must be drown
ed to end its sufferings. She hung out
for some time, after reaching an intel
|lectual conclusion that kitty must die
ere it's agony would cease, because OF
her kind heart. Her young mind was.
however, concentrated upon saving it
a single pang of pain. Finally a reliev-
ed though wan smile overSpread her
oD,,nta,onnn Tho hard hufV nmII6 he
done in a kindly manner, and she got
busy at once. Heating some water to
a comfortable temperature she drown
ed her pet in it, and thus saved 1T the
shock it would experience in being sud-
denly dropped into cold water. It's
death ~agonies, too, would she dimly
imagined be curtailed because cold
water reviveS to an extent as she had
observed in her aunty's fainting fits
under the cold water treatment.
Perhaps the cynic will find fault with
this little girl for being so punctilious
over saving her pet even the little
shade less pain through a difference
in the temperature of the water which
took it's short life away, but if that is
all that he can see in the incident he
is dense indeed. Action and reaction
are opposite and equal on the same
plane. The kindly thought that would
a a kitten pain would in the ordln-
.rv course of things be expected to
the same in the case of suffering
humanity. And so it proved. The
kindness was innate, and there Is
small wonder that the little girl or
thirty years ago has grown into a
matron whose kindly actions are a
benefcient thing to all around her.
The lad who is cruel TO animals will
be cruel to human beings if the occa-
sion offers, and parents have no better
means at their disposal of teaching
their children the humanities than
through intoxicating kindness to ami
mails. A man or woman is a better
nan or woman because they are kindly
IN their thoughts, words and deeds.
But the child is the parent of the adult,
and it is in early youth that vivid m
p~ressions are possible in the human
life.
One means parents have at their dis
posal in making of kindly children,
who come in time, under the method
TO be suggested to be kind to all that
is by the telling of nature stories.
The writer has a friend in the States
who is a very busy man, but nothing
on earth would induce him to give up
the telling of a sane nature story TO
his youngest son at bedtime. BY a
watch for the tendencies OF
the child he has almost if not entirely
eradicated undesirable traits OF char-
acter in the lad, who didn't know that
was given a course in ethical cul-
II through "Daddy's" interesting
tales of the fauna and flora CT North
America. It takes time, but no par
ent who has once tasted the joys in
cident to seeing the best of themselves
reproduced in their children will
grudge the cost. They know their W
failures in life, but here is a means OF
correcting them in the next generation
and doing it subtly under the guise of
entertainment that the child becomes
quite a philosopher long ere he under
stands what a philosopher a
Children may be taught kindness to
animals through self-interest II they
be cruelty disposed; only the law al
reach the adult who has been so ill
trained as to- hurt ar animal, especial.
ly one dependent upon his good Offices
for the means of life in the way OF
food and shelter.
Every driver of a horse should read
"Black Bess," one Of the most delight
full horse stories ever written, and re-
cent agricultural bulletins show how
cattle return more profit in the dairy
or as beef animals under kindly treat
ment. If therefore one has not nat
urally the kindly disposition of h
little kitten girl by right Of heredity
an intuition, self-interest alone should
be sufficient t. have every man, woman
and child treat all animals as brothers
even though on a lower plane than
themselves.
If therefore you have not the refine
ment of kindness get the kindness
itself which is in everyone's reach,
and the indicators word for 1t the
individual will be happy in excercis-
ing the quality of mercy to all dumb
animals. Better passive kindness
than active cruelty; greater still that
quality which will seek the kindest
way to do the stern duties OF life,
which while hurting, because the in
evitable effect must follow the cause,
seeks to do so in such wise that the
person hurt has a way out, has ir. racr
a chance to redeem the ground lost in
- I;fayc ovpcrimopfc which has