The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son ordaughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest anddearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may becometraitors to their faith.　　The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs itmost. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The peoplewho are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the firstto throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.　　The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that neverdeserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dogstands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the coldground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near hismaster's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer.　　He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. Heguards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, heremains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his loveas the sun in its journey through the heavens.　　If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, thefaithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him againstdanger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes hismaster in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friendspursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between hispaws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.