Original Stories from Real Life/Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Treatment of Animals.—The Difference between them and Man.—The Parental Affection of a Dog.—Brutality puniſhed.
AFTER breakfaſt, Mrs. Maſon gave the children Mrs. Trimmer's Fabulous Hiſtories; and the ſubject ſtill turned on animals, and the wanton cruelty of thoſe who treated them improperly. The little girls were eager to expreſs their deteſtation, and requeſted that in future they might be allowed to feed the chickens. Mrs. Maſon complied with their requeſt; only one condition was annexed to the premiſſion, that they did it regularly. When you wait for your food, you learn patience, ſhe added, and you can mention your wants; but thoſe helpleſs creatures cannot complain. The country people frequently ſay,—How can you treat a poor dumb beaſt ill; and a ſtreſs is very properly laid on the word dumb; for dumb they appear to thoſe who do not obſerve their looks and geſtures; but God, who takes care of every thing, unserſtands their language; and ſo did Caroline this morning, when ſhe ran with ſuch eagerneſs to re-place the neſt which the thoughtleſs boy had ſtolen, heedleſs of the mother's agonizing cries!
Mary interrupted her, to aſk, if inſects and animals were not inferior to men? Certainly, anſwered Mrs. Maſon; and men are inferior to angels; yet we have reaſon to believe, that thoſe exalted beings delight to do us good. You have heard in a book, which I ſeldom permit you to read, becauſe you are not of an age to underſtand it, that angels, when they ſang glory to God on high, wiſhed for peace on earth, as a proof of the good-will they felt towards men. And all the glad tidings that have been ſent to men, angels have proclaimed: indeed, the word angel ſignifies a meſſenger. In order to pleaſe God, and our happineſs depends upon pleaſing him, we muſt do good. What we call virtue, may thus be explained:—we exerciſe every benevolent affection to enjoy comfort here, and to fit ourſelves to be angels hereafter. And when we have acquired human virtues, we ſhall have a nobler employment in our Father's kingdom. But between angels and men a much greater reſemblance ſubſiſts, than between men and the brute creation; becauſe the former ſeem capable of improvement.
The birds you ſaw to-day do not improve—or their improvement only tends to ſelf-preſervation; the firſt neſt they make and the laſt are exactly the ſame; though in their flights they muſt ſee many others more beautiful if not more convenient, and, had they reaſon, they would probably ſhew ſomething like individual taſte in the form of their dwellings; but this is not the caſe. You ſaw the hen tear the down from her breaſt to make a neſt for her eggs; you ſaw her beat the grain with her bill, and not ſwallow a bit, till the young were ſatisfied; and afterwards ſhe covered them with her wings, and ſeemed perfectly happy, while ſhe watched over her charge; if any one approached, ſhe was ready to defend them, at the hazard of her life: yet, a fortnight hence, you will ſee the ſame hen drive the fledged chickens from the corn, and forget the fondneſs that ſeemed to be ſtronger than the firſt impulſe of nature.
Animals have not the affections which ariſe from reaſon, nor can they do good, or acquire virtue. Every affection, and impluſe, which I have obſerved in them, are like our inferior emotions, which do not depend entirely on our will, but are involuntary; they ſeem to have been implanted to preſerve the ſpecies, and make the individual grateful for actual kindneſs. If you careſs and feed them, they will love you, as children do, without knowing why; but we neither ſee imagination nor wiſdom in them; and, what principally exalts man, friendſhip and devotion, they ſeem incapable of forming the leaſt idea of. Friendship is founded on knowledge of and virtue, and theſe are human acquirements; and devotion is a preparation for eternity; becauſe when we pray to God, we offer an affront to him, if we do not ſtrive to imitate the perfections He diſplays every where for our imitation, that we may grow better and happier.
The children eagerly enquired in what manner they were to behave, to prove that they were ſuperior to animals? The anſwer was ſhort,—be tender-hearted; and let your ſuperior endowments ward off the evils which they cannot foreſee. It is only to animals that children can do good; men are their ſuperiors. When I was a child, added their tender friend, I always made it my ſtudy and delight to feed all the dumb family that ſurrounded our houſe; and when I could be of uſe to any of them I was happy. This employment humanized my heart, while, like wax, it took every impreſſion; and Providence has ſince made me an inſtrument of good—I have been uſeful to my fellow-creatures. I, who never wantonly trod on an inſect, or diſregarded the plaint of the ſpeechleſs beaſt, can now give bread to the hungry, phyſic to the ſick, comfort to the afflicted, and, above all, am preparing you, who are to live for ever, to be fit for the ſociety of angels, and good men made perfect. This world, I told you, was a road to a better—a preparation for it; if we ſuffer, we grow humbler and wiſer: but animals have not this advantage, and man ſhould not prevent their enjoying all the happineſs of which they are capable.
A ſhe-cat or dog have ſuch ſtrong parental affection, that if you take away their young, it almoſt kills them; ſome have actually died of grief when all have been taken away; though you do not ſeem to miſs the greatest part.
A bitch had once all her litter ſtolen from her, and drowned in a neighbouring brook: ſhe ſought them out, and brought them one by one, laid them at the feet of her cruel matter;—and looking wiſtfully at them for ſome time, in dumb anguiſh, turning her eyes to the deſtroyer, ſhe expired!
I myself knew a man who had hardened his heart to ſuch a degree, that he found pleaſure in tormenting every creature whom he had any power over. I ſaw him let two guinea-pigs roll down the ſloping tiles, to ſee if the fall would kill them. And were they killed? cried Caroline. Certainly; and it is well they were, or he would have found ſome other mode of torment. When he became a father, he not only neglected to educate his children, and ſet them a good example, but he taught them to be cruel while he tormented them: the conſequence was, that they neglected him when he was old and feeble; and he died in a ditch.
You may now go and feed your birds, and tie ſome of the ſtraggling flowers round the garden ſticks. After dinner, if the weather continues fine, we will walk to the wood, and I will ſhew you the hole in the limeſtone mountain (a mountain whoſe bowels, as we call them, are lime-ſtones) in which poor crazy Robin and his dog lived.