El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-02
A Sign OF Life
By ThIt Jensen.

F)WGLI had become NANCY.
M Mowgli was the favOrite Of
~ everyone, named for Kipling's
Jungle book, though it was merely
little soft lapdog IN tie Geel mansion.
Every night it slept in the bedroom
of the two oldest daughters, Else and
Kamma. II they sometimes forgot it or
Mowglf was straying around with other
little dogs Of the neighborhood. 1t al
WAYS returned late in the evening and
moaned and howled softly at the FOOT
Of the stairs. 1t scratched with Its
paws and dragged its tat little body up
the steep steps and it never appealed IN
vain. Mowgn was Kammas dog she
was twelve years old and slept soundly.
but never so soundly that she did not
hear its appealing voice, and she and
her grown up sister Else. who sat up
embroidering. went out together lnl me
the DARK ha1 ana earned AAo" 81 ~D
the last tiresOme steps
: Now. since MoWgH had the mango
Kamma Of course, could not nave II ~
her bed any more 50 she made SOY
bed for il in a basket aiis5 every qay
went into the chickeny ara 70 sdtLsI
| feathers and down for II mere 49,
NOT many dogs in the world WHICL
had a softer bed than gIl-ano veg
few human beings could boast OF an
/ existence as happy and caLeLISe- -
I MoWgli loved every MEMBER q -
/ Geel family and danced ABOUT N
and barked 1OyouSly every lllle NJ
grown Us sons came home on 3 VlslI-
-"Do YOU think a dog realizes you
! love itg' Kamma asked her sister one
night as they were walking across TIC
white snOW-cOYered 1lelus-
Yes do" said Else unheslIatlnsIy-
] "Of course biologists insist that AM
mails do not have intelligence put only
l instinct as q substitute 1or lntSIlls 49, -
but they do not know animals as We
know them They have not seem lIlSl,l
! grow up. I could imagine Papa NosnI
she lowered her voice as she pIo
: nOunced her stepIaJner n alllS e.
4 could imagine him writing Things uhe
I that There was old snap, the oog we
/ had when father died, you don [ re
| member that 1t was not allOWed 20
run along when father went on ms
! long tours of inspection It was chased
4 out of the carriage and locked up,
1 when he went out But tell you II
/ soon learned to figure out what was
7 the matter when father put on MS
I coat and Lars brought out the horses.
| 1t pretended to be sound asleep until
/ father had left just opening its eyes 70
] see in what direction he drove. Ihen
an OF a sudden. off IL went through
/ the garden and back of the barn and
/ far away on the road IL caught up with
! the carriage, showing Its long white
/ teeth in sneezing smiles, and OF course
/ If was allowed to get into the carriage.
1 In a man you would have called that
| smart. common sense, IN cog u is
! only instinct I call it intelligence,
Kamma nodded assent.
THAT was the dog that died when
/ father died, wasn't II!
! yes said Else quietly. 1T sounds
/ like sentimental talk and nonsense,
( know but IL IS true. w hen tather mad
/ been buried il would not eat and one
| dav we found it sick and starving
| lying on his grave. We carried it home,
4 but the next morning II was gone again
| and a little later people returning from
| divine service told US they had seen
II lying dead on the grave in the
/ church yard.
] for mother" said Kamma- "The dog
dfed from sorrow. while She married
I another Don't you think so, tOo?'
II Will judge no one said Else Geel
! and raised her head. With arms linked
! together and their hands buried in
/ their muffs the sisters walked home
| wards I tell you" said Else after q
/ short pause. IT think mother had "a
/ marry again. And If you have ever
I noticed mother when she is looking al
/ the portrait Of father YOU would feel
1 sorry for her. I think mother is just
J waiting for a sign of life from beyond
/ where father is. to bolster up the inner
/ faithfulness. If it be only sure that
( there is a life after death, she knows
I that it is the life of the soul thai
/ counts. And that is why / viii not
/ Judge mother. for I do not know how
/ much she, in the life Of her soul, is
| still living with father"
Kamma followed with her eyes her
/ yellow favOrite which had searched NJ
I a young hare. The hare ran away In
long leaps and Mowglfs short legs failed
! to move with anything like the speed
! of the other. Kamma saw MoWgIi dis
/ appear in the distance.
DO you believe" she asked. that II
I it We're very far away, il would still
/ remember US and try TO get home?"
Else nodded.
do you believe then. that animals
have a soul. an immortal soul like
I ours - Kamma asked eagerly
@Of course I cannot know said
/ Else more cautiously but do believe
1 where there is love. there is also i'm
! mortality"
| Little Mowgli came back putting
| grooming and gasping for breath. its
/ little flanks moving as If in cramps
Kamma let 90 her sisters arm and
picked up her pet. The dog looked
4 at her with an expression Of gratitude
/ and nestled its head against her bosom
As soon as IT got back It's breath a
little it licked her ear
You little fool. she said and patted
if tenderly avoiding the bloody and