A Boy and a Dog 



your sympathies. That's why you 

 hear of so many "dog cases" in the 

 country courts. That's what moved 

 Senator Vest to say, upon a certain 

 memorable occasion : 



Gentlemen of the jury: The best friend a 

 man has in this world may turn against him 

 and become his enemy. His son or daughter 

 that he has reared with loving care may prove 

 ungrateful. The people who are prone to 

 fall on their knees to do us honor when success 

 is with us may be the first to throw the stone 

 of malice when failure settles its cloud upon 

 our heads. The one absolutely unselfish friend 

 that a man can have in this selfish world, the 

 one that never deserts him, the one that never 

 proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. 



Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands 

 by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health 

 and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold 

 ground, where the wintry winds blow and the 

 snow drives fierce, if only he may be near his 

 master's side. He will kiss the hand that has 

 no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and 

 sores that come in encounter with the rough- 

 ness of the world. He guards the sleep of his 

 pauper master as if he were a prince. When 

 all other friends desert he remains. When 



[II] 



