One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree; โ hung it with the tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart; โ hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offence; โ hung it because I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin โ a deadly sin that would so jeopardize my immortal soul as to place it โ if such a thing were possible โ even beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible God.