Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1882 — Men and dogs. [ARTICLE]

Men and dogs.

Colorado Letter of Dio Lewis •. The best of these shepherd dogs are worth S2OO, or even more. One herder whom we met at Cold Springs Ranch, showed us a very pretty one that he said he would not sell for SSOO. She had at that time four youug puppies. The night we arrived “we visited his camp and were greatly interested in the little mother and her nursiug babies. Amid those wild mountains, this little nest of motherly devotion and baby trust was verp beautiiul. While we we were exclaiming, the assistant herder came to say that there were more than twenty sheep missing. Two male dogs, both larger than the little mother, were standing about, with their hands in their breeches, doing nothing. But the herdei said neither Tom nor Dick would flud them. Flora must go. It was urged by the assistants that her foot was sor •, she had been hard at work all day. was nearly worn out, and must sucklfrher puppies. The boss insisted that she must go. The sun was setting. There was no time to lose. Flora was called, and told to hunt for lost sheep, while her master pointed to a great forest, through the edge of which they had Eassed on their way up. She raised er head, but seemed very loath to leave her babies. The bosH called sharp ly to her. She rose, looking very tired and low-spirited, with head and tail down, and trotted off toward the forest. I said. “That is to bad.” “Oh, she’ll be right back. She’s light ning on stray sheep. The next morning I went over to learn wheather Flora found the strays. While we were speaking the sheep were returning, driven by the little dog who did not raise her hea l or wag her tail even when spoken to, but craw led to her puppies and lay down oy them, ottering the little empty breasts. She had been out all night, and, while her hungry babies were tugging away fell adeep. I have never seen anything so toucidng. So far as I was concerned, “there was not a dry eye in the house ” How often that scene comes back to me—the vast, gloomy forest, and that little creature, with the sore foot and her heart crying for her babies, limping and creeping about in the wild canyons all through the long dark hours, finding and gathering in the lost sheep. I wonder if any nreacher of the gospel ever searched for lost sheep under circumstances so hard’ and* with such painful sacrifices? Bu.t, then, we must not expect too much of men. It is the dog tnat stands for fidelity and sacrifice. The best part of man is the dog that is in him.