THE GRATEFUL POODLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3982, 26 April 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GRATEFUL POODLE.

One day a benevolent physician (who had read the books about kindness to animals) having found a stray poodle suffering from a broken leg, conveyed the poor creature to his homo, and, after setting and bandaging the injured limb, gave the little outcast its liberty again, and thought no more abonttho matter. But how groat was his surprise, upon opening the door ono morning somo days later, to find the grateful poodle patiently waiting there, and in its compauy another stray dog, one of whose legs, by some accident, had been broken. The kind physician at once relieved the distressed animal, nor did ho forget to admire the inscrutable goodness and mercy of Providence, who had been willing to use so humble an instrument as the poor outcast poodle for the inculcating of etc., etc., etc,,' The next morning the benevolent physician found the two dogs, boaming with gratitude, waiting at his door, and with them two other dogs—cripples. The cripples were speedily healed, and tho four went their way, leaving the benevolent physician more overcome with pious woador than ever. Tho day passed, tho morning camo. Then at the door sat now the four reconstructed dogs, and with them four others requiring reconstruction. The day also passed, and another morning came, and now sixteen dogs, eight of them newly crippled, occupied the side walk, and tho peoplo were going aronnd. By noon tho broken logs were ajl fiet, but the pious wonder in the good physician's breast was beginning to get mixed with involuntary profanity. Tho sun rose onco more, and exhibited thirty-two dogs, sixteen of them with broken legs occupying the sidewalk and half of the' street; the human spectators took up tho rest of the room. The cries of the wounded, the songs of the healed brutes, and the comments of the onlooking citizens made great and inspiring cheer, but traffic was interrupted in that street. The good phyjsiciap hired a couple of assistant surgeons

and got through the benevolent work before dark, first taking the precaution to cancel his church membership, so that ho might express himself with the latitude which the case required. But some things have their limits. When once more the morning dawned, and the good physician looked out upon a massed and farreaching multitude of clamorous and beseeching dogs, he said : " I might as well acknowledge it; I have been fooled by the books ; they only tell the pretty part of the story, and then stop. Fetch me the shotgun"; this thing has gone along far enough." He issued forth with his weapon, and chanced to step upon the tail of the original poodle, who promptly bit him on the leg. Now the great and good work which the poodle had been engaged in had engendered in him such a mighty and augmenting enthusiasm as to turn his weak head at last and drive him mad. A month later, when the benevolent physician lay "in the death throes of hydrophobia, he called his weeping friends about him, and said : —' Bewaro of the books. Whenever a poor wretch asks you for help, and you feel a doubt as to what result may flow from your benevolence, givo yourself the benefit of the doubt and kill the applicant." And so saying ho turned his face to the wall and gave up "the ghost.— Mark Twain.