The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world,

the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous,

is his dog.

A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty. In health and in sickness.

He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely,

If only he may be by his master's side.

He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come

In encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as

if he were a prince. When all friends desert, he remain.

When riches take wing and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the

Sun in its journey through the heavens.

Senator George Vest, 1870