Voices for the Speechless Part 6

Of homeless boy, in streets with peril rife; Of workman, sickened in his airless den; Of Indian parching for the streams of life; Of negro slave in bond of cruel men.

O Friend of all the friendless 'neath the sun, Whose hand hath wiped away a thousand tears, Whose fervent lips and clear strong brain have done G.o.d's holy service, lo! these eighty years,--

How meet it seems thy grand and vigorous age Should find beyond man's race fresh pangs to spare, And for the wronged and tortured brutes engage In yet fresh labors and ungrudging care!

Oh, tarry long amongst us! Live, we pray, Hasten not yet to hear thy Lord's "Well done!"

Let this world still seem better while it may Contain one soul like thine amid its throng.

Whilst thou art here our inmost hearts confess, Truth spake the kingly seer of old who said,-- "Found in the way of G.o.d and righteousness, A crown of glory is the h.o.a.ry head."

MISS F. P. COBBE.

SUFFERING.

Pain, terror, mortal agonies which scare Thy heart in man, to brutes thou wilt not spare.

Are these less sad and real? Pain in man Bears the high mission of the flail and fear; In brutes 'tis purely piteous.

HENRY TAYLOR.

TO LYDIA MARIA CHILD.

Who knows thy love most royal power, With largess free and brave, Which crowns the helper of the poor, The suffering and the slave.

Yet springs as freely and as warm, To greet the near and small, The prosy neighbor at the farm, The squirrel on the wall.

ELIZA SCUDDER.

VIVISECTION.

It is the simple idea of dealing with a living, conscious, sensitive, and intelligent creature as if it were dead and senseless matter, against which the whole spirit of true humanity revolts. It is the notion of such absolute despotism as shall justify, not merely taking life, but converting the entire existence of the animal into a misfortune which we denounce as a misconception of the relations between the higher and lower creatures. A hundred years ago had physiologists frankly avowed that they recognized no claims on the part of the brutes which should stop them from torturing them, they would have been only on a level with their contemporaries. But to-day they are behind the age.

As I have said ere now, the battle of Mercy, like that of Freedom,

"Once begun, Though often lost, is always won."

MISS F. P. COBBE.

n.o.bILITY.

From yon blue heavens above us bent The grand old gardener and his wife Smile at the claims of long descent.

Howe'er it be, it seems to me 'Tis only n.o.ble to be good; Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood.

A. TENNYSON.

ACTS OF MERCY.

Yes, any act of mercy, even to the humblest and lowliest of G.o.d's creatures, is an act that brings us near to G.o.d. Although "the mercy of G.o.d," as the Psalmist says, "reaches to the heavens, although his judgments are like the great deep," yet still, as the Psalmist adds, it is the same mercy, the same justice as that which we know in ourselves. "Thou preservest both man and beast; how exalted is thy mercy, O Lord; therefore the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings." That mercy which we see in the complex arrangements of the animal creation, extending down to the minutest portions of their frames--that same Divine mercy it is which we are bid to imitate. He whose soul burns with indignation against the brutal ruffian who misuses the poor, helpless, suffering horse, or dog, or a.s.s, or bird, or worm, shares for the moment that Divine companion wrath which burns against the oppressors of the weak and defenceless everywhere.

He who puts forth his hand to save from ill treatment, or add to the happiness of any of those dumb creatures, has opened his heart to that Divine compa.s.sion which our Heavenly Father has shown to the whole range of created things--which our blessed Saviour has shown to the human race, his own peculiar charge, by living and dying for us. "Be ye merciful" to dumb animals, for ye have a common nature with them. Be ye merciful, for the worst part of the nature of brutes is to be unmerciful. Be ye merciful, for ye are raised far above them, to be their appointed lords and guardians. Be ye merciful, for ye are made in the image of him who is All-Merciful and All-Compa.s.sionate.

DEAN STANLEY.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

He beheld the poor man's need; Bound his wounds, and with all speed Set him on his own good steed, And brought him to the inn.

When our Judge shall reappear, Thinkest thou this man will hear, Wherefore didst thou interfere With what concerned not thee?

No! the words of Christ will run "Whatsoever thou hast done To the poor and suffering one That hast thou done to me."

ANON.

LOVE.

Thus, when Christianity announced its fundamental idea of love, it, by an immovable logic, enveloped all things in that affection, and every dumb brute of the street comes within the colored curtains of the sanctuary. The Humane Society is a branch of G.o.d's Church, and we Christian church-members are all members of all such a.s.sociations, so far as we are intelligent members of the Church of Christ. Love does not mean love of me or you, but it means love always and for all.

PROF. SWING.

CHILDREN AT SCHOOL.

If children at school can be made to understand how it is just and n.o.ble to be humane even to what we term inferior animals, it will do much to give them a higher character and tone through life. There is nothing meaner than barbarous and cruel treatment of the dumb creatures, who cannot answer us or resent the misery which is so often needlessly inflicted upon them.

JOHN BRIGHT.

MEMBERs.h.i.+P OF THE CHURCH.