... Landseer - a collection of fifteen pictures and a portrait of the painter (1901) (14786020313)

Identifier: landseercollecti00hurl (find matches)
Title: ... Landseer : a collection of fifteen pictures and a portrait of the painter
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Hurll, Estelle M. (Estelle May), 1863-1924 Landseer, Edwin Henry, Sir, 1802-1878
Subjects: Landseer, Edwin Henry, Sir, 1802-1873 Horses
Publisher: Boston, Mass. New York : Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
Contributing Library: Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
upercilious disdain. A miserable, half starvedhound approaches the basket with eyes fixed hun-grily on the contents, the tail drooping between theshaking legs, the attitude expressing the most abjectwretchedness. He is a canine Uriah Heep profess-ing himself so umble. Behind is a retriever,uplifting a begging paw, and farther away are othereager dogs. A puppy in front has just finishedeating, and, still gnawing the skewer, looks up toask for more. Not one of them all dares touch the meat, thoughJack moves not a muscle to prevent them. It is aquestion whether an overfed, tight-skinned animallike this would prove a very redoubtable enemy in afight. Jacks influence, however, is due in no smallmeasure to his sagacious air of importance. Seatedon his haunches, he holds between his fore legs thehandle of the scales as the insignia of office. Abroad collar and a small leather harness show he hasto take his own turn in serving another. Ignoringthe appeal of the puppy, he turns to the group of
Text Appearing After Image:
JACK IN OFFICE 77 larger dogs, regarding tliem with a contemptuousexpression of his half-closed eyes. He has been akeen observer of dog nature, and knows what valueto place upon the professions of these fawning crea-tures. The situation inevitably suggests correspondingrelations in human life. It often happens that aman of inferior qualities is raised to some positionof authority which he holds with arrogant assump-tion. Himself the servant of another, he delightsin the exercise of a petty tyranny. He is forthwithsurrounded by a throng of flatterers seeking the ben-efits he has to bestow. It is pitiable to see how somewho were originally his superiors humiHate them-selves before him. Like the sycophant hound andthe imploring retriever, they seem to lose all sense ofself-respect. One can see how easily the picture of Jack inOf&ce could be converted into a caricature, and it isnot surprising to learn that it has been used in Eng-land as a political cartoon. American politics mightal