Life, 1907-07-04 · page 19 of 48
Life — July 4, 1907 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a sentimental short story, not political satire, published in *Life* magazine. The narrative concerns a boy who finds a terrified, "gun-shy" dog with firecrackers tied to its tail—victim of neighborhood roughians (the "High Street gang"). The boy shows kindness, removing the strings and comforting the animal. However, he then deliberately sets off a firecracker near the dog to test or torment it, despite the dog's fear. The story's "moral" (per the subtitle) appears to critique casual cruelty masked by earlier kindness: the boy is "only a boy," the text suggests, excusing his behavior while the loyal dog forgives him unconditionally. The illustration shows children celebrating Fourth of July with fireworks. The piece uses the holiday as a framework to explore themes of animal welfare and childhood morality—likely reflecting early-20th-century concern about children's treatment of animals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE-: 19 Her Dog A Fourth of July Story with a Moral Attached to the End of It fi HE Boy had gotten up very carly in the moming, paying his yearly tribute to the God of Noise. ‘Then there had come a lull at break- KS fast time. Now he was ready for the fray again. He stood for a moment outside the stable-door, then opened it and stole inside. There, in one comer of the hamess closet, was a box—a box that had been broken into, but still contained vast treasures of noise. The Boy stooped down, prepared to examine contents more carefully. His eyes gloated over it. Henry, the coachman, was busy at the other end of the stable, washing a runabout. From the outside world came that intermittent explosive unevenness denoting the usual American Fourth of July in full blast—distant cracklings, 2 brief silence, loud reports— and the pervading essence of smoke. Suddenly, as the Boy stood up, there were shoutings out- side, accompanied by brisk artillery. The shoutings came and then, swiftly, a bedraggled-looking dog, with the ins of a bunch of firecrackers tied to his tail, burst through the door. He dashed past Henry, and suddenly, in his terror, seeing the Boy, he stopped short, whined pitifully, and dragged his belly on the stone floor, crin new friend. The Boy reached down and patted him. He put his arms about the dog’s neck and drew the trembling animal to him. Then he cut off the strings that hung to his tail. “He's scared stiff,” said the Boy. “I guess it must be that High Street gang. Yes, it is,” he added, as he looked through the window. ‘here they go now.” The dog continued to tremble. “Gun-shy,” said Henry, gazing at him, as he tumed off the water. “What's gun-shy?” asked the Boy. “That's the way some dogs is,” said Henry, “mortal afraid ofagun. Bom so. The boys sized kim up. He's no good,” he continued, look - ing at the dog. That animal, as if in reply, clung to the Boy. He was indeed bursting with love and affection, and the Boy being the first person who had responde promptly overdid his demonstration. His eyes, mute with a wonderful confidence, glanced up at the Boy in trusting appeal “You go lie down,” said the Boy, mo- tioning him into a far corner. The dog obeyed. But the moment the Boy moved toward the box of fire- crackers the dog was after him again. The Boy looked out of the window. The High Street gang had disappeared. g before his he Then he raised his hand and motioned the dog aw “Get out,” he threatened. The unwelcome animal was not to be put out so ea pecially as certain loud reports in the near distance only caused him to tremble more violently. Instead of obeying, he ran toward the Boy. He lay at his feet, panting with excitement Then the Boy did something that was natural. For, after ail, he was only a boy. He took a firecracker out of his pocket, deliberately lighted it and threw it down on the floor. There was instantly a loud report. The dog jumped as if shot. But not away from the per petrator. Instead, he only drew closer. That boy had been kind to him. The world might come to an end, but down in the depths of his dog heart he was going to believe only the best of his benefactor. “T'll tell you what I'll do,” said the Boy to the coachman, in a voice where perhaps a slight note of apology for his act could be detected, “I'll just lock him in one of the stalls and he can Stay there.” The coachman riodded his approval. So the Boy dragged the dog into.an empty stall and rolled the gate shut. Then, filling his arms with firecrackers, the Boy went out in front. He fired them off steadily for five or ten minutes. He had started out to have a quiet, noisy Fourth, all to him- self. father, who was indulgent, had furnished him the means, and he was producing astonishing results. Alone and unaided—for somehow every boy on the Fourth is so absorbed that he becomes independent of all companion- ship—he-was going a long way toward making his house the noisiest one in the neighborhood. A girl came walking hastily down the street, as fast as her bare feet permitted ¢ had on a long, dingy, soiled, beltless ily, es ‘dress. Her hair was tousled. The tears had made channels in her cheeks. Her anxiety had so encompassed her as to make her forget that she was now in another environment, quite different from the one she had just left; hence, she felt no embarressment. SUGGESTION FOR A SAFE FOURTH OF JULY FOR THE CHILDREN comicbooks.com