SENATOR VEST'S EULOGY ON THE DOG 



The best friend a man has !n this world may turn against 

 him and become his enemy. His son and daughter that he has 

 reared with loving care may become ungrateful. Those who are 

 nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness 

 and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The 

 money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him when 

 he may need it most. Man's reputation may be sacrificed in a 

 moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to 

 fall on their knees and 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 a man 

 may have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, 

 the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is the dog. 



A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health 

 and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the 

 winlry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, 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 roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his 

 pauper master as if he were a prince. 



When all o'Jier friends desert, he remains. When riches take 

 wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love 

 as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives 

 the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless and homeless, 

 the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompan}nng 

 him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies, 

 and when the last scene of all comes and death takes his master 

 in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no 

 matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside 

 will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws and his 

 eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even 

 to death. 



