GOD'S CREATURES.



A LITTLE boy was tormenting a poor, frightened dog on the street one day. He had a stout cord around the poor creature's neck, and was using all his strength to drag the dog along. Of course the frightened little animal tried to pull away, and the harder he pulled the more he was choked, and the more terrified he grew.

A lady passing along the walk laid her hand gently on the boy's shoulder, and said,—

"My dear boy, do you know that is God's little dog?" The boy looked into her face with a funny, frightened look, and said,—

"No; is it really?"

"Yes, it really is; and so I think you will have to be careful how you treat it."

Then she went on.  Looking back a moment after, she saw that the boy had let go of the string, and the dog was running away as fast as his feet could carry him!

No doubt the boy was happier in letting the poor dog go than he had been in tormenting him; it can't be that there is pleasure in hurting anything, though it does seem as if some folks found pleasure in just that way!

Must it not be that such folks do not consider that any creature, which can feel is one of God's creatures.  If the boy who torments the dog, frightens the cat, bereaves the mother-bird, or in any way acts out the savage, could only see that every living thing belongs to God, how tender and kindly it would make him! Indeed, boys and girls, believing in God is the cure for everything that is hard and unloving.