Little Phebe heard a poor dog howling piteously one day. She went and found him, and saw he was hurt. He snarled and snapped when she came near.
“Poor dog!” said Phebe; “poor dog!”
The next day she took him a bone; then she brought him a pan of water. He drank greedily. When Phebe came again, he wagged his tail; and the next day he limped to meet her. She told her father about the hurt stray dog, and asked leave to bring him home. Her father told her she could. She went and invited him to her house; and though I suppose he did not quite understand her words, he understood what kindness was, and followed her, and became a faithful house-dog in his little mistress’ family.
When Phebe was coming from school one day, she saw some thoughtless boys stoning a kitten.
“Don’t,” cried Phebe, “don’t abuse the poor thing.”
“O, it belongs to nobody,” said the boys; “we are only having a little fun!”
“It belongs to somebody,” said Phe; “it is God’s kitten, and you have no business to treat God’s creatures so.”
The boys did not think of that; they did not know it was God’s kitten, they said, or they should not have treated it so; and they left off directly.
Phebe took it home. Towser at first was not pleased to see it in Phebe’s arms; but she told Towser the story; and although he did not understand the story, he understood enough to know he must treat it kindly, and protect it from harm.
It would prevent a great deal of cruelty and neglect of the dumb creatures, if we kept in mind they were God’s.
They are God’s horses which wicked men beat and work unmercifully.
They are God’s cows which greedy people sometimes starve in their winter fodder.
They are God’s lambs that are often neglected to be housed in the storm, and God’s dogs that are kicked and abused.
They are the work of His hands, and the creatures of His care; and they are as curiously and wonderfully formed with flesh, and blood, and brains, and heart, and lungs, as we are; and though they are dumb, and cannot plead for themselves, God will not foet our ill-treatment in the great day of account.
ML 08/20/1944