Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-04-09
grass and switching the flies with his remnant

was, being in the first place, suspect, quite
in the sober evening of his days, and in the
next, lean and shaggy, and worn off his feet
with. the hard uses he bad seem At first we
climbed on the fence near which he stood, (for |
we thought he looked vicious, poor fellow and
stroked his thick, short neck, over which lit |
tie thin, bur-tangled name fell in knots and
strings For time he gnawed away to the
very roots of the grass regardless of US, but
when we began to say "poor old fellow" and
pat him more and more lovingly, he lifted up
his great heavy head, and rolled toward us his
white, gassy-looking eyes, The mouthful Of
grass he had got was dispatched while we rub
bed smooth the broad white strip in bis face
so we all set to work pulling fresh grass and
clover which he ate from our hands without
biting them at ALL
The trappings he wore we're in little better
condition than himself without eyes as he was,
and having his mud coored hoofs half worn
away, and all his i-shapen limbs swollen and
Scared.
In truth, think he would not have borne
the gay caparisoning worn so handsomely by
that famous steed which Byron saw in his
dream-it would have been, as the miliners
say, trying TO his complexion.
Yes, on the whole am inclined to think
that his dilapidated accoutrements suited the
style of bis beauty very well.
The saddle looked as if it helped to
strengthen and bind together the beast and
the beast in turn, seemed to give shape to the
saddle-at least all the shape it had Over
this patchwork of faded leather and linen,
which by courtesy we called saddle, there
hung pair of weather stained saddle bags.
quite collapsed. A small strip of knotted enth-
er and a bit Of rusty iron made the bride, but
stout col. of rope was wound around the
neck of the animal, to serve as check rein, |
suppose Add to these things an old cotton
umbrella, that dangled from side to side as the
horse changed his position, and you will have
a pretty correct notion Of my Bucephaus.
1t was not till we had made an inventory of
this various furniture that we set about pull
ing grass; pastime which the poor old brute
seemed to relish as much as wet had been
long, perhaps, since he had been tended with
dainty white clovcrs, and he could not see
where to search for them because of the mid
night that was in his eyes-besides, he was
little used to meadows. think.
hadn't you best ungear him first, my little
men and women p" said voice close to us,
and looking up from our grass pulling we saw
before us the vertable stranger, essayng with
slim pale hands to unite the muddy girth-an
endeavor soon accomplished He next stript
off the bride, and the equipage made quite a
garniture for the fence, | remember, as he
hung them up, one after another, which being
done. be wiped his hands on his hair and ap-
preached me, L being the oldest-shook my
hand hpnrtiIv Hin h.. oft nrle
shook hands with the rest of the group, calling
each his brother or sister, and then survey
ing us collectively through his blue, steel bow
ed spsctacles he said he hoped the Lord would
bless US MS we reasonably and rightly coult
desire, aGd that for himself, he thought oul
'little hands were made for good works-jus
J., such as the fiery orb Of day, now wheeling GU
!. in view, had looked down upon previously t.
closing up his red eye for the uscrutable ant
}. mysterious pillow OF darkness!"
was quite dazzled with that first corrusca
ton of his genius. and with similar display
subsequently; but i greatly fear his meta
phors were sometimes little confused ant
extraVsgant
After the exordium have recorded, b
came down to more commonplace psrlanc
ride hiscolt and 90 a preaching with him, an
myself whether l was a professor, and relie'
ing me of the embarrassment he occasione
by COMMUNICATION old be you" "You
father well to do?" "Snug place han't he !?
|. and such like questions; the rapidty wi.
which he uttered them preventing me fror
replying to more than half; greatly to my re
z lief, for did not quite know how to shap
my sentences to such forms as | felt he dc
served; for surely he was preacher-I ha
never seen but two or three, and suppose
them ali to be very great persons.
7 However, made myselfintelligible, thinl
- for he complmented me by saying, was a
y smart young sister as be had met in
y "Coon's age"
,e He certainly had little of the clerical loo
as about him, unless it were the blue spectacle
.v before mentioned; for his dress was compose
We of various coors-his frock coat had once bee
of Of brown hue, but had lost much of It's ori.
e brightness; his trowsers were blue, and h
. waistcoat variously plaided with high color
nd He wore, besides, straw hat, which scarce
at seemed to belong to the cloth, and green spa
terdashers pinned about the lower extremit
a. of his trowsers with sharp thorns, which
". had probably secured in some of bis wilde
an ness needs.
he He was pale stripping with fair hair ar
nd very smooth face; but in ability be was.
G. least is his own opinion, a giant, as appear,
er with the progress of our acquaintance for
nd was quite unknown to us on coming to o.
g. house-a privilege accorded to itinera
ID preachers in obscure places to this day. b
Sn. lievc
lie Brother Arkey," he called himself, and
,er may as we'll call him so, was overhowing wi
SO zeal for the interests Of his own theoloe
which, by the way, he called the cause, wh'
no. he had occasion to speak of it, which was pr,
a." ty often. 81 suppose" he said, when he h
est partaken of supper and wiped his mouth wi
nee his hand and his hand on his hair. 81 suppc
viz you all attend our big meeting tomorrow"
ell My father said the harvest must needs be
in red for but in truth | think he knaw nothi