A PUPPY PROBLEM

When Midget was a puppy
And to the farm was brought,
She found that there were many things
A puppy must be tought.
Her mother oft had told her
The first thing to be known
Was how to gnaw and bite, and thus
Enjoy a toothsome bone.
So Midget practiced biting
On everything around,
But that was not approved at all,
To her surprise, she found.
The farmer spoke severely,
Till Midget shook with fright;
The children shouted "No, no, no!
Bad Midget! Mustn't bite!"
'Twas just the same with barking;
At first they all said "Hark!"
Whenever Midget tried her voice;
"Good puppy! That's it! Bark!"
But then, as soon as Midget
Could sound a sharp "Bow-wow!"
Alas! the talk was changed to "Hush!
Such noise we can't allow!"
Now wasn't that a puzzle?
It seemed a problem dark
That it was right and wrong to bite
And right and wrong to bark.
A puppy's hardest lesson
Is when to bark and bite;
But Midget learned it, and became
A comfort and delight.
                                Emilie Poulsson

 

WITH REGARD TO DOGS

Only the human dead may lie
In God's good acre wide and fair;
Those of an humbler kind who die
May not have shelter there: --
Not Dan, who spent his lifetime in
Such deep devotion, such warm trust
Toward man, -- 'twould seem there might have been
Some corner for Dan's dust;
Not Chum, a little blind boy's guide,
Not Mike, who raced on eager feet
When school was out, to walk beside
The youngest on his street;
No place for Jack who, neighbor-wise,
Shared with a hungry cur his bone,
Nor Pete, whose heart was in his eyes
To hear his master's tone;
Nor Watch, who longed to range around
With brother dogs, but wanted most
To keep good guard, -- Watch, always found
Faithfully at his post;
No place for Sam, too small to teach
Great lessons to, whose only art
Was loving well one small lad, which
He did, with all his heart;
No room for Sandy down the road,
Who never, through the whole long span
Of his good life transgressed the code
Of courteous gentleman. . . .
Nor Max, who leapt a life to save
And lost his own, with peril near:
Look somewherre else for Max's grave,
The human dead lie here.
        *       *       *       *
Sleep well, you dead who never knew
Humanity. The Love on high
Who marks the faithful and the true
Remembers where you lie!
                                Nancy Byrd Turner

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