Dogs hav infested this world just about az long az man haz, and will
hang around it, az long az thare is enny grizzle left on a bone.
We hav no reliable ackount ov the fust dog, and probably shant hav ov
the final one.
If Adam kept a tarrier, or Eve a poodle, the laps of ages hav washed
away the fakt.
If Noah had a pair ov each breed ov dogs, on board ov hiz vessell, and
only one pair ov fleas, he waz well ont for dogs, and poor ont for
fleas. But history iz numb on this subjekt.
Esaw waz a mity hunter, but whether he kept a houn, or followed the cent
himself, iz az ded, and departed to us, az the chirp ov the fust
reliable cricket.
We read that Esaw sold out hiz birth rite for soup, and menny wonder at
hiz extravegance, but Esaw diskovered arly, what menny a man haz
diskovered since, that it iz hard work tew live on a pedigree.
If i waz starving, I wouldn't hesitate tew swap oph all the pedigree I
had, and all mi relashuns had, for a quart of pottage, and throw two
grate grandfathers into the bargain.
[Illustration]
But I don't intend this essa for dogs in the lump, but for the
individual yellar dog himself.
The yellar dog haz no pedigree, the blood in hiz veins iz az krude az
petroleum, when it fust cums pumping out ov the earth, bitter, thick,
and fiery.
He iz long, and lazily put together, hiz ears flop when he shacks along
the dusty thoroughfare, and hiz tail iz a burden.
Thare iz no animashun in a yeller dog's tail, it iz useless, the flies
aint even afraid ov it, it iz wus than a 10 per cent mortgage tew the
rest ov hiz boddy.
Whi the Yeller dog aint born diskounted, iz a mistery tew me, but when i
ask miself, "Whare would yu hitch the tin pan to," then at once the
folly ov a bob tailed yeller dog, flashes on mi mind.
Ever since this kontinent waz found bi Christopher Columbus, in 1492,
and for what i kno, much time previous tew that, the Yeller dog haz been
a vagrant, travelling bi moon lite, and hungry bi natur.
Whare he cums from noboddy seems to know, and if yu speak a kind word
tew him, he thinks it a kite in disguise, and straddling hiz tail, with
both hind legs, he goes suspicious, and sideways, on his lonesum jurney.
Mankind hav made him a vagabond, and life to him iz made up ov
starvashun, and brickbats.
If he cums out ov hiz lurking place in the hot ov august, he iz a "_mad
dog_," and the common council at once assemble, the riot act iz read, 50
dollars reward iz offered, men cum panting into town, crieing "_mad
dog_," their two horse waggon waz bit that morning, bi a yaller dog, the
fury rages, old guns are kleaned up, the cannon iz run out on the
village green, dames talk to dames ov the awful event, men look sober
and defiant, boys pocket their marbles in the midst ov the game, pigs
run squealing tew their hovels, and the whole boddy politik surges with
horror.
The poor innocent whelp haz done hiz worst, and while a whole village iz
in the extacys ov hydrophobia he has passed on, and may be seen, tugging
away, in the subburbs, at the shin bone ov a departed omnibus hoss.
The yeller dog haz but one friend among men, and that iz the darkey.
A common misfortune links them together.
Why iz it, that the old negro, and hiz yeller dog, are vagabonds on the
face ov the earth?
Mans inhumanity iz wuss than the malice ov wild beasts.
A day ov reckoning will cum, a day ov judgment, and i kant tell but what
the yeller dog will be thare, a mute witness, and then, and thare, will
the grate problem be solved.
This wurld iz phull ov grate wrongs, and the next one will az certainly
be az phull ov grate retribushuns.
I kant endure the sight ov oppreshun, it disgraces mi manhood, if i had
money enuff i would like tew buy even all the yeller dogs thare iz now
on the buzzum ov the earth, and make them respekted and happy.
But i haint got the money, nor never shall hav, but az long az i hav
strength tew steer a gooze quill, and blood enuff in mi heart for ink, i
will bid mankind beware ov oppreshun, i dont kare whether it is in hi
places or low, the oppreshun ov caste, the oppreshun ov wealth, or even
the low, and degrading oppreshun, ov a tin pale, in hot pursuit, ov the
friendless, yelping, yeller dog.
Yeller dogs will sumtime, and sumwhare, hav their day, and when the huge
piles ov brikbats, and mountains ov old tin ware, cums into court, i
want tew be thare, for i am anxious tew know what the line ov defence
will be.