A LITTLE DOG

A little dog disturbed my trust in Heaven.

I praised most faithfully

All the great things that be,

Man’ s pain and pleasure even,

I said though hard this weighing

Of pains and tears and praying

He will reward most just.

I said your bitter weeping man or maid,

Your tears or laughter

Shall gain a just Hereafter;

Meet you the will of God then unafraid,

Gird you to your trials for God’ s abode

Is open for all sorrow;

Live for the great to-morrow.

There passed me on the road

A little dog with hungry eyes, and sad

Thin flesh all shivering,

All sore and quivering,

Whining beneath the fell disease he had.

I hurried home and praised God as before

For thus affording

To man rewarding,

The dog was whining outside my door.

I flung it wide, and said, Come enter in,

Outcast of God.

Beneath His rod

You suffer sore, poor beast, that had no sin.

Not at my door then must you cry complaining

Your lot unjust,

But His who thrust

You from His door your body maiming.

Not mine the pleasure that you bear this pain,

Hurled into being

Without hope of freeing

By grief and patience a soul for any gain.

Thus I reproached God while I tended

The sores to healing

A voice stealing

And whispering out of the beast I friended,

Said, “God had quickened my flesh, bestowing

Joys without measure,

Made for its pleasure,

An Eden’ s garden for ever glowing.

Gave me to Man, his care and protection

To gain and to give,

And bid us so live

In united bonds of help and affection.

“Man wrecked our garden, so we were hurled

Out from the skies

Of Paradise

Into the sorrows of a weeping world.

He forgets my care, I, as God has said,

Give still affection

For that connection

Which into all our bodies life has breathed.

“And why are you abusing God, and praising

With mock effacement

And false abasement

Your own heart’ s kindness, deeming it amazing

That you should do this duty for my sake,

Which is His bidding,

Nor blame for ridding

Himself of me, your neighbour, he who spake hard words,

Hard words and drove me forth all sore and ill?”

Thus while I tended

This dog I friended

Gave back my faith in Heaven by God’ s will.