How Like Humans | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 20, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 42.

How Like Humans.

On the other side of the street from our office is one-half a block belonging to a wealthy gentleman. Here he has a fine residence, beautiful shade trees, and tropical foliage, with playground for children, barns for horses, kennel for dogs, etc. Among those who enjoy the yard is a pug dog, who roams where he pleases, and seems to be well fed and groomed. There is also a cat who would be glad to enjoy it were she allowed the privilege. As it is, much of the time during the day she is confined to an oak tree by the dog, who seems to take a special delight in chasing her off the ground up a tree. The dog does not want all the ground. He can use at the most only about a foot by a foot and a half at a time. He never cares for the ground under the tree, for as soon as the cat is in the tree he leaves for the back porch at some distance, tho in sight of the tree. In short, the whole scene is the old parable acted over again of the “dog in the manger.” He does not need nor could he use the greater part of the yard, but he can not bear that anything else which he can dominate should use it. How like some humans he is, isn’t he? How mean it seems in a dog! Is it not just as mean in humanity? Is it not just as mean in us?