240 THE IMMORTALITY OF ANIMALS 



Abyssinia that have not often been referred to, so 

 repugnant are they to humanity, and yet practices 

 of equal barbarity have been found in our own 

 country. It would be a tedious work to particular- 

 ize the numerous instances and kinds of cruelty that 

 our religious country is guilty of. 



How often are we called upon to witness the 

 abuse of the horse, the most useful and willing ani- 

 mal in the world. How often, reduced to weakness 

 by age and suffering, after years of faithfulness, he 

 is made to drag out a miserable existence, or is 

 subjected to cruel stripes by reason of his inability to 

 accomplish labors which in his more vigorous days 

 he would willingly have performed. How many 

 do we see on our highways wounded and bleeding, 

 pushed on to a speed for which they are disabled. 

 How often do we see them struggling in vain 

 with burdens beyond their strength, the patient 

 victim of the most brutal outrages, lacerated by the 

 lashing of their cruel masters, and goaded on to re- 

 new the struggle, till they fall prostrate on the 

 streets in hopeless agony. Many times we see the 

 poor old faithful horse, after he becomes too feeble 

 to do the work of his cruel master, turned out on the 

 common to die from starvation. 



