The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-08
A Dogs View OF Life
In The White House

ai1S III tHo NulLe IlouSe Is given IN u
letter ostensibly written by "Laddie
Boy" President Harding's Airedale
terrier, to Tiger" stage dog, which
will appear in the current issue of the
National Magazine, to be published to-
morrow The President sent the let
ter, which was in reply to one from
Tiger to Joe Mitchell Chapple, edi-
tor of the magazine
"Laddie Boy has made reply" Pres
ident Harding wrote, "and am send.
ing you copy herewith fer your in
formation, since you were the bearer
of Tigers message"
After telling of "a thrill that wag-
ged my stub tail violently when read
Of the part YOU are playing, giving to
the public demonstration Of the fdel-
ity which characterizes our lives
"Laddie Boys" letter says:
Every dog plays his part well
when he is merely his natural self, but
unhappily many a dog is more or less
spoiled by his environment and asso-
Citations. imagine am spoiled some
myself. So many people express E.
wish to see me and shake hands with
80 many calleds at the Executive Man
sion that / fear there are some peo-
pie who will suspect ME of political
nclinations-from what l see of poll
tics | am sure l have no such aspira-
tions.
"Of course it is exceedingly inter-
esting and worth while to be in the
center of so many activities of great
Importance, but there is an air of ear
nestness and responsibility about it
which l can see in my chief that I
often long for the good old days back
home.
Sometimes the chief acts as though
he would like to sit down when he and
l can be lone, and / can look at him
with sympathetic eyes and he fixes his
gaze on me in grateful sort Of way,
rs much as to say, We'll, Laddie Boy,
you and | are real friends, and we
will never cheat each other
"When the chief looks at me this
way, I know that he feels that will
never find fault with him, no matter
what he does, and that will never be
ungrateful nor unfaithful.
"I realize that dogs life is lin
tied in years, but it is, after ALL a
wonderful life to live. l can believe
we leave our impress on our human as
scciatcs. I suppose, because of my|
temporary assignment to the White
House, YOU attribute to me greater
knowledge than I can really claim to
possess. I am only 18 months old
and I do not know many other dogs.
| have heard the chief talk about some
of his dog friends, and know that he
chooses to be known as the friend Of
good dogs.
"Say! talk about fellowship
for the company Of small boy who
has been taught ne1er to be cruel to
animals. That's the association for
play that strengthens the heart and
brightens the spirits. Still, there are
,usr1eable to associate with.
"When l came to the White House
the mistress gave me a'rather cold
shoulder. 1 found out afterward it'll
was because she did not want to be-
come attached to me and excessively
grieved in case our association had to
be severed. Since then she has fall
en- for me to beat the band She let's
me come to the private dining room
now and then, and I can coax morsels
fYn,,, 4ho t,h1o xyIo1a ln+ nf
fectively than a lot Of office-seekers
can appeal for jobs. But I mustn't
talk about these things, for fear I
will be giving away some of the White
House secrets.
~ have no doubt you will do a lot
of good. If you can only have the
realization that you are helping to es-
tablish more kindly consideration Of
the animal life Of which we are a part
and you can impress your audiences
with the beauty of the friendship of
dogs for human associates who treat
them becomingly, and instill in human
lives some of the honesty and fidelity
which characterizes the lives we dogs
live, you will find compensation in
the good you have done which will sur
pass any other experience in your
life"
The letter says there is no cat to
play with at the White House anr
adds:
81 do not think am sorry thereat
There isn't much fun in pursuing and
making war on some other quadruped
as some Of our forbears seem to think
1t is really fine to dwell in tranquil
ity."
"Laddie Boy" signs himself, "Yours,
with a cordial wag, a friendly sniff
and a joyous greeting"
D.;..l.;x...l ..,.1l..-aL 1c Z.