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LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF AN EXTREMELY LOVED DOG
By Eugene O'Neill
I, Silverdene Emblem O'Neill (familiarly known to my family,
friends and acquaintances as Blemie), because the burden of my years and
infirmities is heavy upon me, and I realize the end of my life is near, do
hereby bury my last will and testament in the mind of my Master. He will not
know it is there until after I am dead. Then, remembering me in his loneliness,
he will suddenly know of this testament, and I ask him to inscribe it as a
memorial to me.
I have little in the way of material things to leave. Dogs are wiser than men.
They do not set great store upon things. They do not waste their days hoarding
property. They do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the
objects they have, and to obtain objects they have not. There is nothing
of value I have to bequeath except my love and my loyalty. These I leave
to all those who have loved me, especially to my Master and Mistress, whom I
know will mourn me the most.
I ask my Master and my Mistress to remember me always, but not to grieve for me
too long. In my life, I have tried to be a comfort to them in time of
sorrow, and a reason for added joy in their happiness. It is painful for me to
think that even in death I should cause them pain. Let them remember that while
no dog has ever had a happier life (and this I owe to their love and care for
me), now that I have grown blind and deaf and lame, and even my sense of smell
fails me so that a rabbit could be right under my nose and I might not know, my
pride has sunk to a sick, bewildered humiliation. I feel life is taunting
me with having over-lingered my welcome. It is time I said good-bye,
before I become too sick a burden on myself and on those who love me.
It will be a sorrow to leave them, but not a sorrow to die. Dogs do not
fear death as men do. We accept it as part of life, not as something alien
and terrible which destroys life. What may come after death, who knows?
I would like to believe that there is a Paradise. Where one is always young and
full-bladdered. Where all the day one dillies and dallies. Where each
blissful hour is mealtime. Where in the long evenings there are a million
fireplaces with logs forever burning, and one curls oneself up and blinks into
the flames and nods and dreams, remembering the old brave days on earth and the
love of one's Master and Mistress.
I am afraid that this is too much for even such a dog as me to expect.
But peace, at least, is certain. Peace and a long rest for my weary old heart
and head and limbs, and eternal sleep in the earth I have loved so well.
Perhaps, after all, this is best.
One last request, I earnestly make. I have heard my Mistress say,
"When Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much
I could never love another one." Now I would ask her, for love of me,
to have another. It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog
again. What I would like to feel is that, having once had me in the
family, she cannot live without a dog!
I have never had a narrow, jealous spirit. I have always held that most
dogs are good. My successor can hardly be as well loved or as well
mannered or as distinguished and handsome as I was in my prime. My Master
& Mistress must not ask the impossible. But he will do his best, I am
sure, and even his inevitable defects will help by comparison to keep my memory
green.
To him I bequeath my collar and leash and my overcoat and raincoat. He can
never wear them with the distinction I did, all eyes fixed on me in admiration,
but again I am sure he will do his utmost not to appear a mere gauche provincial
dog.
I hereby wish him the happiness I know will be his in my old home. One
last
word of farewell dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave,
say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the
remembrance of my long, happy life with you:
"Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how
deep my sleep I shall hear you and not all the power of death can keep my spirit
from
wagging a grateful tail. I will always love you as only a dog can.
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