Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-23
that my work all right. With that prop taken

very doorstep He was cold and hungry and home
less and apparently frendless as L. and let him in
and fed him and warmed him, and he became my dog
my dog mine! Where he came from or why he had
at all, I.never knew. always believed he had
away; not because he was i'll treated but because
he wasn't allowed to become one OF the family as he
felt he entitled to be- That he was a member OF
my family he accepted at once as settled fact and all
he asked that should think of him part OF the time
and let him think of me all the time. Whatever my
mood he endeavored to chime in with it, accepting it
respectfully part of my perfection. never struck
him sober, and the fact that once when was drunk
Poor fellow he always limped little after that-and
have you noticed never drink at alp 1t happened
few weeks after Rex came to live with me. and the
noticing me consistently sober afterWard con-
graduated my strength of will. Will! Rexs
licking my hand to show me he understood hadn't
meant to hurt him all that will had to do with it.
When creature loves you and trusts you absolutely
Doctor and forgives you when you've hurt 1t, be 1t
human being be it brute you can t. tor shames sake
put yourself in the way of hurting it again!
"For five wears lived that way, man and dog,
without intimates without associates except those OF
business. Then moved. moved here to another city.
where associations not SO fraught with pain tor
foe and willing to make friends, there were
for me such things friends Rex understood. Rex
reoced at my change OF heart and Rex began to make
advances for first toward children, afterward
toward grown people. Because he was kind to their
children the parents came to like him. and because of
his fauness to they came to like me, to believe
in me- and finally came to believe in them and dis
covered as waking from a bad dream that there
were friends for in the world. # you remember,
Doctor it was mutual interest in Rex that brought
about first meeting Most of the friendships have
formed these last five years started IN some such
way as that.
a never taught him tricks except to shake hands,
and that think he taught himself. Tricks used to
feel were beneath his dignity. He was too much con-
cerned with the serious business of life, in following
me about, in seeing that got the aihe used to bring
hat if stayed in too long-ln loving me- IN his
inferior dog fashion And there lesser dlvin
ties to myself the children of the neghborhood. Them
he had to protect, and protect them he did against
maraudng dogs against running in the street; the
E+tla 7 And ne1i
too far to find his way back Rex went forth to find and
found him. Did you think there is something OF
the humanity maternal in the affection of dog like
that! And it centered in me; it was only the chill
dren living close to me whom had singled out by my
attentions that Rex took special interest in.
0NE day he disappeared, slipped out without his
~ collar All that day looked for him, and the next
and the next, and at the end of week found him at
the pound medical student was barter1ng for him
for the best friend had! He going to-they would
have There was medical school Whereabouts, you
know What had happened to him in the meantime
before found him don't know. But this do know:
when he saw he cried child cries, with real tears
year later he was killed six months ago from now
You know how it happened-the burglar and the shot
PALM trying to lick my hand His only grief seemed to
be that he could not say humby and as "a dog might If
dog could talk Master love you! I'll always love
$50 he's dead, and there's his basket. And, being
only brute he not too good to be butchered and
being dead that is the end of him. All you throw up
your hand in protest. but that your belief For me-
fhave none-or yes, have; but won't give it to you
But, Doctor, III tell you something trust you and
I'll tell you But don't repeat it. don't refer to it. don't
as we sit here tonight seek explain it. Man Of science
churchman though you don't try to explain this
thing to me- l wish to think of it l wish to think
of it.
one night sat here by the fire you and sit now
~ alone and lonely. 1t had been day cruelty hard for
me- dav full of things of the dead and gone time that
sought ever to forget. Of sudden of the old
bitterness rolled me- black doom, and instinc
lively reached my hand to Rex had often done
under similar stress, taking comfort in the OF
that poor that knew better than to be faith