Article July 24, 1909 Issue

THE WAY OF LOVE

JESSIE WOOD

My great love for animals often used to get me into trouble. Whenever I saw a man beat or abuse a horse, sometimes overloaded or sick, my indignation knew no bounds, and I would go full tilt for the driver, a proceeding which invariably brought in return his opinion of me, usually delivered in no complimentary manner—Greek meeting Greek. Under these conditions, although I meant well, nothing was accomplished in the right direction, but very much in the wrong.

Just about this time I commenced to read Science and Health, and then for the first time I learned of the eternal Mind which governs the universe and man. I saw that God gave man dominion, not over his brother but over the animal, and that he was to govern him in love, not in fear or with the lash. A short time after this I had an opportunity to put my new-born understanding into practice. One day, as I turned out of Broadway into Fulton street, I saw a great crowd of people gathered, and wagons and cars were stalled. I made my way through the crowd, and found that the center of attraction was a large drayhorse, whose refusal to go on with his load was blocking up the street. He had been lashed with the whip and otherwise ill-treated, and every driver and car-conductor was adding his condemnation. Finally some one proposed to set a fire under him, and one of the men ran into a store to get material for this purpose.

All this time I was silently declaring the truth, and in an instant my thought went back to another scene,—the cruel rabble of eighteen hundred years ago,—and there came to my remembrance those words, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." It was enough; the light came, and pushing my way through the crowd to the horse, which was trembling in every limb, I put my hand on him. He turned his head completely around to see who had touched him, and instinctively he seemed to feel it was the touch of love. The driver with an oath shouted at me, but I answered not, and before the man returned to put into effect his cruel and inhuman purpose, the horse had started off without even a touch from the whip. I watched him until he turned into Broadway. Then the cars and wagons fell into line, the crowd dispersed and harmony was restored.

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