The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-10-16

| NLD MAN NEGLEY stopped his
U lawnmower to listen to sound
! Tor rather a series of sounds)
that arose above its CHEEKY whirr.
man was believing wrathfully.
somewhere on the far side of the fence
| which parted the Weller yard from
| the grounds Of Colonel Prouse. ton
Vine street. Through his roars of
anger came now the sharp yelp of a
dog in pain and fright.
! Old Man Negley's gray brows puck
| cred. He left his work and strobe
| to the fence. peering over its top.
There, on the grassplot. stood
old Colonel Prouse, towering over a
little dog that covered quiveringly at
his feet.
Lie down." bawled the colonel, in
a voice that would have Travelled a
| half-mile.
The lucliless puppy only covered
lower and turned his frightened head
| piteously from side to side in vain
search for some way Of escape. But
he did not lie down. He was too dumb
with terror to understand any mean
| ing but fury in his dreaded masters
| tones.
| Colonel Prouse drew back his foot
and kicked viciouslN at the panic-smit-
| ten dog. The kick landed only
glancingly. But the pup yelped again
in fright.
Excuse me, colonel" called Old
Man Negley, across the fence, and try
ing to keep his voice reasonably civil.
Excuse me for mentioning it, but
there are better ways for a man to
show how inferior he is to his own
dog than by kicking him. You'll know
that when you cool down. Likewise,
If you don't mind my saying so,
man who can't train his own temper
can't hope to train dog. The min
ute you loose control of yourself you
lose control of your dog. 1 thought
you might like, to know. That pup of
yours is too good to be spoiled for
ever, just for the fun of getting mad
at him"
"The pups worthless" fumed the
colonel. He's born fool. I can't
even kick sense into his useless car
cass.. He"
Didn't you tell me once. sir. about
training regiment of raw recruits
for the Spanish warp respectfully
asked the old man.
Yep" said the colonel, land they
were the best-trained regiment of CT
villains at Chattanooga, if 4 do say so.
But what's that got to do with"
with that poor cowed whimpering
puppy?" supplemented Old Man Neg
ley. "Only this much: Did you kick
those recruits and scream and swear
at them and threaten to kill them, the
first time or two they were ever on
the parade grounds"
The colonel glowered and said moth
Ing.
"If you had" went on the old man,
You'd not only have been cashiered
from the army, but you'd have made
that whole regiment as worthless as
you're trying to make that pup.
1T would have been more sensible
to kick the recruits and get into
babyish rage at them. Because they
would have had sense enough to make
allowances, Besides. there would
have been some redress for them.
But there isn't any redress for
your dog. You're his god. You have
power Of life and death over him. You
can torture him or scare him into fits.
He can't save himself and nobody can
save him. That's pretty big respon-
slbility, when you come to look at it
in the right way. isn't 1t. sir?"
1.-THE recruits were grown men. with
grown mems brains. This puppy is
only baby. He has baby brains.
He isn't a Daniel Webster. He is
more anxious to learn things than
you are anxious to teach them to him.
start him right and handle him
right and there's almost nothing you
couldn't teach him. But when you
scare him half to death and kick him,
his baby brains has only just room
enough in it to know he's in awful
danger.
THAT pretty little grandchild of
yours, now-the one who started
school last week. Suppose she had