Beautiful Joe [105]
and there was a dog that had separated himself from all the other animals, and
was trying to comfort him. He became the chosen friend and companion of Adam,
afterward of all men."
"There is another legend," said Mr. Harry, "about our Saviour and a dog. Have
you ever heard it?"
"We'll tell you that later," said Mr. Maxwell, "when we know what it is."
Mr. Harry showed his white teeth in an amused smile, and began "Once upon a time
our Lord was going through a town with his disciples. A dead dog lay by the
wayside, and every one that passed along flung some offensive epithet at him.
Eastern dogs are not like our dogs, and seemingly there was nothing good about
this loathsome creature, but as our Saviour went by, he said, gently, 'Pearls
cannot equal the whiteness of his teeth.'"
"What was the name of that old fellow," said Mr. Maxwell, abruptly, "who had a
beautiful swan that came every day for fifteen years, to bury its head in his
bosom and feed from his hand, and would go near no other human being?"
"Saint Hugh, of Lincoln. We heard about him at the Band of Mercy the other day,"
said Miss Laura.
"I should think that he would have wanted to have that swan in heaven with him,"
said Mr. Maxwell. "What a beautiful creature it must have been. Speaking about
animals going to heaven, I dare say some of them would object to going, on
account of the company that they would meet there. Think of the dog kicked to
death by his master, the horse driven into his grave, the thousands of cattle
starved to death on the plains will they want to meet their owners in heaven?"
"According to my reckoning, their owners won't be there," said Mr. Harry. "I
firmly believe that the Lord will punish every man or woman who ill-treats a
dumb creature just as surely as he will punish those who ill-treat their fellow-
creatures. If a man's life has been a long series of cruelty to dumb animals, do
you suppose that he would enjoy himself in heaven, which will be full of
kindness to every one? Not he; he'd rather be in the other place, and there
he'll go, I fully believe."
"When you've quite disposed of all your fellow-creatures and the dumb creation,
Harry, perhaps you will condescend to go out into the orchard and see how your
father is getting on with picking the apples," said Mrs. Wood, joining Miss
Laura and the two young men, her eyes twinkling and sparkling with amusement.
"The apples will keep, mother," said Mr. Harry, putting his arm around her. "I
just came in for a moment to get Laura. Come, Maxwell, we'll all go."
"And not another word about animals," Mrs. Wood called after them. "Laura will
go crazy some day, through thinking of their sufferings, if some one doesn't do
something to stop her."
Miss Laura turned around suddenly. "Dear Aunt Hattie," she said, "you must not
say that. I am a coward, I know, about hearing of animals' pains, but I must get
over it. I want to know how they suffer. I ought to know, for when I get to be a
woman, I am going to do all I can to help them."
"And I'll join you," said Mr. Maxwell, stretching out his hand to Miss Laura,
She did not smile, but looking very earnestly at him, she held it clasped in her
own. "You will help me to care for them, will you?" she said.
"Yes, I promise," he said, gravely. "I'll give myself to the service of dumb
animals, if you will."
"And I, too," said Mr. Harry, in his deep voice, laying his hand across theirs.
Mrs. Wood stood looking at their three fresh, eager, young faces, with tears in
her eyes. Just as they all stood silently for an instant, the old village
clergyman came into the room from the hall. He must have heard what they said,
for before they could move he had laid his hands on their three brown heads.
"Bless you, my children," he said, "God will lift up the light of his
countenance upon you, for you have given yourselves to a noble work. In serving
dumb creatures, you are ennobling the human race."
Then he sat down in a chair and looked at them.