The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-08
The Thoroughbred
By ADA PATTERSON.

When we say IL man or woman We
know Is thoroughbred. we pay to
him or her the greatest compliment OF
which we are capable. There is not in
tie vocabulary OF pleasant terms a
stronger word.
VISIT 4 stock farm. the home of high
grads horses or cattle. and you will ser
that the physical signs OF the thorough.
bred are fine eyes and erect bear.
Ing. These are tho symbols of high.
generous spirit
The keeper OF the stock farm VIII
tell you that IA thoroughbred never
whines. ono illustrated this to me vs.
swinginG a dog about by the tain The
capped him.
You See" said tho keeper. They
never complain II amt In EN-. Same
way when stable burns. II amt ,he
best horses that scream when they're
burnin'. IT'S the worst"
All this il quite as true OF the
human thoroughbred. The visible signs
OF the invisible spirit are eyes that are
No burden. except possibly the weight
Of many years, bends his shoulders.
and his eyes meet yours in honest
fashion.
He never complains, lie Keeps his
troubles 10 himself having discovered.
as thoroughbreds do. that to tell trou-
bies Is To multiply them. and to lock
finally end them. He never talks about
what tate has done for him. lie knows
he IL master OF his own fate he
never bewdils the treatment he has re-
ccivcd from another. for he knows no
one can do him lasting harm except
himself.
lie never whines and he never
peaches" The thoroughbred smiling
~ allows his convival friends wife ~
blame him for her spouse's late houg.
Being a thoroughbred. he would spare
the woman the pain OF knowing thai
her husband went eagerly to his cups,
requiri0g no leading.
Nor is the thoroughbred a gutter.
lie doesn't try half dozen trades oil
right ono, or die believing that he
hasn't yet found that right one. He Is
a man who never gives up. Captain
Perry, whose timc-s.ained tombstone
nsers out of the autumn mold OF
Trinity's famous graveyard. seeming To
say 10 the young. Don't give up tho
eide ever deserved that name.
The shaggy ST. Bernard never leaves
a man TO perish in tho eternal cold and
whitencss OF an Alpine pass. The hu-
man thoroughbred never fails friend.
lie is generous 10 his enemies, Il hard
fighter. but fair one.
The thoroughbreds you meet on the
stock farm have a fine. free stride.
They move as though they are unen
numbered and fear no man. The spirit
of the human thoroughbred Is OF the
same sort His is a large view OF his
associates. of his environment, OF life.
His faults have not their root in pet
tiness.
He declines to dc. contemplating act,
not because he is afraid of being found
out, nor because he thinks II won't
pay" but because he prefers to live
on good terms with himself. In many
faces arc signs OF the timorous spirit
in many eyes the look OF one ashamed.
The thoroughbred looks serenely at the
world because he neither fears. nor has
been shamed. ut the bar OF his own
soul
One. difference between the human
and the animal of the best species is
that the best REQUIRES much breeding
to become thoroughbred. Tho human
does not. He may have no family" no
wealth no position" Bs we know II
in it's miserably narrow sense. But he
has the spirit of the conqueror. He
conquers the hearts. bends tho Wills
and eievates tho impulses OF his fell
lows