“God’s dear animals” said a friend to me. God even uses an animal sometimes to carry out His purpose. We had a letter from the Front just lately, and a soldier told us of his horse. He said “the ostler had given my horse his feed, but somehow had forgot to put any before the next horse. Well, sir, would you believe it? my dear horse took up part of his food and placed it before the other horse.” Another true story I read in “Ashore and Afloat,” of a dear horse when his master was shot down, withdrew from the cavalcade, picked up his rider by his clothes, and carried him to some soldiers some distance off. These are most interesting anecdotes of animals, but now I have a remarkable story of a faithful dog to relate, which God used to the reclamation of one of His children, who had rebelled against Him because it had pleased His Father to take his sons and daughters to Himself. This gentleman gave up his faith, but his wife remained firm in the assurance that “He doeth all things well” she said, “I was dumb; I opened not my mouth.” They had a faithful collie, and this dear woman, having a long way to go to church morning and evening, always took the dog with her, which lay down quietly in the seat during the service. At last the time came for the wife to pass away. “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Her husband was yet more hardened against God, and replied, “Why has God done this?” After the burial, one Sunday, his master saw the dog go down the garden path and continue its way along the road, so he followed it to see where he was going. The dear dog went straight to church and walked into his mistress’s seat and lay down, watching and waiting as it were, and God used this faithful creature’s act to soften the man’s heart. He burst into tears and sobbed out his shame and sorrow there before the Lord, and came back to his Lord and Master from that day. For years the dear dog was his companion, and he often said, “Ah, he is my best earthly friend, he led me back to my Saviour.”
Emily P. Leakey