THE LITTLE BLACK DOG
by Elizabeth Gardner Reynolds

I wonder if Christ had a little black dog,
All curly and wooly like mine:
With two long silky ears and a nose, round and wet,
And two eyes, brown and tender, that shine.
I am sure, if He had, that that little black dog
Knew, right from the first, He was God;
That he needed no proof that Christ was divine,
And just worshipped the ground where he trod.
I'm afraid that He hadn't, because I have read
How he prayed in the garden, alone;
For all of His friends and disciples had fled
Even Peter, the one called a stone.
And, oh, I am sure that the little black dog,
With a heart so tender and warm,
Would never have left him to suffer alone,
But, creeping right under his arm,
Would have licked the dear fingers, in agony clasped,
And, counting all favors but loss,
When they took him away, would have trotted behind
And Followed Him quite to the Cross.

When I was a child, (78 yrs ago), our family had a friend of long standing and we three children were blessed with weekly visits to this very elderly lady. We would play anagrams, play duets on the piano and read from books on her shelf.

Among the books was Ted Malone's "Between The Book Ends". We found the poem of "The Little Black Dog" and we honestly could not wait to go back the following weeks to again have the privilege of reading the poem.

 Thru the internet I have again found the poem, cried, and cried again, just to recall those happy days and this wonderful story.

 I am now 87 years old and memories are an important part of my life. Thank you very much for making my day. Incidentally, I was willed the book along with an Edgar Guest, Rubiat/Kiam and Ted Malone. What a blessing.