Beautiful Joe [9]
Five dollars apiece for your ears
and your tail thrown in. That's all they're worth in the eyes of the law.
Jenkins has had his fun and you'll go through life worth about three-quarters of
a dog. I'd lash rascals like that. Tie them up and flog them till they were
scarred and mutilated a little bit themselves. Just wait till I'm president. But
there's some more, old fellow. Listen: 'Our reporter visited the house of the
above-mentioned Jenkins, and found a most deplorable state of affairs. The
house, yard and stable were indescribably filthy. His horse bears the marks of
ill-usage, and is in an emaciated condition. His cows are plastered up with mud
and filth, and are covered with vermin. Where is our health inspector, that he
does not exercise a more watchful supervision over establishments of this kind?
To allow milk from an unclean place like this to be sold in the town, is
endangering the health of its inhabitants. Upon inquiry, it was found that the
man Jenkins bears a very bad character. Steps are being taken to have his wife
and children removed from him.'"
Jack threw the paper into my box, and he and the other boys gave three cheers
for the Daily News and then ran away. How glad I was! It did not matter so much
for me, for I had escaped him, but now that it had been found out what a cruel
man he was, there would be a restraint upon him, and poor Toby and the cows
would have a happier time.
I was going to tell about the Morris family. There were Mr. Morris, who was a
clergyman and preached in a church in Fairport; Mrs. Morris, his wife; Miss
Laura, who was the eldest of the family; then Jack, Ned, Carl, and Willie. I
think one reason why they were such a good family was because Mrs. Morris was
such a good woman. She loved her husband and children, and did everything she
could to make them happy.
Mr. Morris was a very busy man and rarely interfered in household affairs. Mrs.
Morris was the one who said what was to be done and what was not to be done.
Even then, when I was a young dog, I used to think that she was very wise. There
was never any noise or confusion in the house, and though there was a great deal
of work to be done, everything went on smoothly and pleasantly, and no one ever
got angry and scolded as they did in the Jenkins family.
Mrs. Morris was very particular about money matters. Whenever the boys came to
her for money to get such things as candy and ice cream, expensive toys, and
other things that boys often crave, she asked them why they wanted them. If it
was for some selfish reason, she said, firmly: "No, my children; we are not rich
people, and we must save our money for your education. I cannot buy you foolish
things."
If they asked her for money for books or something to make their pet animals
more comfortable, or for their outdoor games, she gave it to them willingly. Her
ideas about the bringing up of children I cannot explain as clearly as she can
herself, so I will give part of a conversation that she had with a lady who was
calling on her shortly after I came to Washington Street.
I happened to be in the house at the time. Indeed, I used to spend the greater
part of my time in the house. Jack one day looked at me, and exclaimed: "Why
does that dog stalk about, first after one and then after another, looking at us
with such solemn eyes?"
I wished that I could speak to tell him that I had so long been used to seeing
animals kicked about and trodden upon, that I could not get used to the change.
It seemed too good to be true. I could scarcely believe that dumb animals had
rights; but while it lasted, and human beings were so kind to me, I wanted to be
with them all the time. Miss Laura understood. She drew my head up to her lap,
and put her face down to me: "You like to be with us, don't you, Joe? Stay in
the house as much as you like. Jack doesn't mind, though he speaks so sharply.
When you get tired of us go out in the garden and have a romp with Jim."
But I must return to
and your tail thrown in. That's all they're worth in the eyes of the law.
Jenkins has had his fun and you'll go through life worth about three-quarters of
a dog. I'd lash rascals like that. Tie them up and flog them till they were
scarred and mutilated a little bit themselves. Just wait till I'm president. But
there's some more, old fellow. Listen: 'Our reporter visited the house of the
above-mentioned Jenkins, and found a most deplorable state of affairs. The
house, yard and stable were indescribably filthy. His horse bears the marks of
ill-usage, and is in an emaciated condition. His cows are plastered up with mud
and filth, and are covered with vermin. Where is our health inspector, that he
does not exercise a more watchful supervision over establishments of this kind?
To allow milk from an unclean place like this to be sold in the town, is
endangering the health of its inhabitants. Upon inquiry, it was found that the
man Jenkins bears a very bad character. Steps are being taken to have his wife
and children removed from him.'"
Jack threw the paper into my box, and he and the other boys gave three cheers
for the Daily News and then ran away. How glad I was! It did not matter so much
for me, for I had escaped him, but now that it had been found out what a cruel
man he was, there would be a restraint upon him, and poor Toby and the cows
would have a happier time.
I was going to tell about the Morris family. There were Mr. Morris, who was a
clergyman and preached in a church in Fairport; Mrs. Morris, his wife; Miss
Laura, who was the eldest of the family; then Jack, Ned, Carl, and Willie. I
think one reason why they were such a good family was because Mrs. Morris was
such a good woman. She loved her husband and children, and did everything she
could to make them happy.
Mr. Morris was a very busy man and rarely interfered in household affairs. Mrs.
Morris was the one who said what was to be done and what was not to be done.
Even then, when I was a young dog, I used to think that she was very wise. There
was never any noise or confusion in the house, and though there was a great deal
of work to be done, everything went on smoothly and pleasantly, and no one ever
got angry and scolded as they did in the Jenkins family.
Mrs. Morris was very particular about money matters. Whenever the boys came to
her for money to get such things as candy and ice cream, expensive toys, and
other things that boys often crave, she asked them why they wanted them. If it
was for some selfish reason, she said, firmly: "No, my children; we are not rich
people, and we must save our money for your education. I cannot buy you foolish
things."
If they asked her for money for books or something to make their pet animals
more comfortable, or for their outdoor games, she gave it to them willingly. Her
ideas about the bringing up of children I cannot explain as clearly as she can
herself, so I will give part of a conversation that she had with a lady who was
calling on her shortly after I came to Washington Street.
I happened to be in the house at the time. Indeed, I used to spend the greater
part of my time in the house. Jack one day looked at me, and exclaimed: "Why
does that dog stalk about, first after one and then after another, looking at us
with such solemn eyes?"
I wished that I could speak to tell him that I had so long been used to seeing
animals kicked about and trodden upon, that I could not get used to the change.
It seemed too good to be true. I could scarcely believe that dumb animals had
rights; but while it lasted, and human beings were so kind to me, I wanted to be
with them all the time. Miss Laura understood. She drew my head up to her lap,
and put her face down to me: "You like to be with us, don't you, Joe? Stay in
the house as much as you like. Jack doesn't mind, though he speaks so sharply.
When you get tired of us go out in the garden and have a romp with Jim."
But I must return to