he
shook every few minutes. He sat with his hands clasped on the top of his
cane, and he scarcely took his eyes from Miss Laura's face. Suddenly he
jumped up and came and sat down beside her.

"An ugly dog, that," he said, pointing to me.

Most young ladies would have resented this, but Miss Laura only looked
amused. "He seems beautiful to me," she said, gently.

"H'm, because he's your dog," said the old man, darting a sharp look at
me. "What's the matter with him?"

"This is his first journey by rail, and he's a little frightened."

"No wonder. The Lord only knows the suffering of animals in
transportation," said the old gentleman. "My dear young lady, if you
could see what I have seen, you'd never eat another bit of meat all the
days of your life."

Miss Laura wrinkled her forehead. "I know I have heard," she faltered.
"It must be terrible."

"Terrible it's awful," said the gentleman. "Think of the cattle on the
western plains. Choked with thirst in summer, and starved and frozen in
winter. Dehorned and goaded on to trains and steamers. Tossed about and
wounded and suffering on voyages. Many of them dying and being
thrown into the sea. Others landed sick and frightened. Some of them
slaughtered on docks and wharves to keep them from dropping dead in
their tracks. What kind of food does their flesh make? It's rank poison.
Three of my family have died of cancer. I am a vegetarian."

The strange old gentleman darted from his seat, and began to pace up and
down the room. I was very glad he had gone, for Miss Laura hated to hear
of cruelty of any kind, and her tears were dropping thick and fast on my
brown coat.

The gentleman had spoken very loudly, and every one in the room had
listened to what he said. Among them, was a very young man, with a cold,
handsome face. He looked as if he was annoyed that the older man should
have made Miss Laura cry.

"Don't you think, sir," he said, as the old gentleman passed near him
in walking up and down the floor, "that there is a great deal of mock
sentiment about this business of taking care of the dumb creation? They
were made for us. They've got to suffer and be killed to supply our
wants. The cattle and sheep, and other animals would over-run the earth,
if we didn't kill them."

"Granted," said the old man, stopping right in front of him. "Granted,
young man, if you take out that word suffer. The Lord made the sheep,
and the cattle, and the pigs. They are his creatur