Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-11-15
MISCELLANEOUS.
An unexpected Race.

All uHcXpGCteu ICdCO'
In one of the large town Of Worcester
County, Massachusetts, used to live a clergy
man whom we will call Rdewel. He WIS
of the Baptist persuasion, and very rigid in
his ideas of moral propriety. He had in his
employ an old negro named Pompey, and il
this latter individual was not so strict in hi:
morals as his master, he was at least very
cunning dog, g. passed in the reverend house
hold for pattern of proprety. Pompey was
a useful servant, and the old clergyman new
er hesitated to trust him with the most i'm
portant business. Now it SO happened that
there were dwelling in and about the town,
sundry individuals who had not the fear oil
the dreadful. penalties which MIR. Ridewell
preached, about .heir eyes, for it WAS the
wont Of these people to congregate on Sab
bath evenings upon level piece OF land IN
the outskirts of the town, and there race
horses. This spot was hidden from view by
dense piece of woods. and for long while
there without detection by the officers, or
others who might have stopped them. Ii also
happened that the good old clergyman owned
one of the best horses in the country. This
horse was one of the old Morgan stock, with
a mixture of Arabian blood in his veins, and
i. was generally known that few beasts could
mass him on the road. Mr.. Ridewoll, with
dignity becoming his calling, stouily declared
that the heetness of his horse never afforded
him any gratifcat ion, and that fer his own
part he would as lief have any other. Yet
money could not buy his Morgan, nor cou:d
any amount of argument persuade him TO
swap. The church was SO near the good
clerg, mans dwelling that he always walked
20 meeting, and his horse was consequently
allowed to re main in pasture.
Pompey discovered that these races were
on the tapis, and he resolved to enter his
masters horse on his own account, for he
fsl, assured that old Morgan could beat any
thing in the shape OF horsehesh that could
be procured in that quarter. So on the very
next Sunday evening he had the bride under
his Jacket, went out into the pasture, and
caught the horse, and then rode off toward
the spot where the wicked ones were con-
eregated. Here he found some dozen assem-
bled, and the race about to commence
Pompey mounted his beast, and at sigma
he started. Ole Morgan entered into the
spirit of the thing, and came out two rods
ahead of everything PomPey won quite
pile, and before dark he was we'll initiated in
horse-racng.
Pompey succeeded in getting home with
out exciting any suspicious, and he now long
eed for the Sabbath afternoon to come, FOL
he was determined to try it again. He die
so, and again he won; and this course o
wickedness he followed up for two months
making his appearance upon the racing
ground every Sunday afternoon as he couI'
after 'meeting was out" And during tha
time Pompey was not the only one that ha'
loved racing. No, for old Morgan himSel
had come to love the excitement OF the thing
too, and his every motion when upon I'M
track showed how zea.ously he entered int
the spirit oi the game. But these thing
were not always 70 remain secret on'
Sunday .pious deacon beheld This racing
from distance, and straightway went TO IN
parson with the alarming intelligence. Th'
Rev. Mr.. Ridewell was utterly shocked. HI
moral feelings were outraged, and he resolv
ed to put stop to this wickedness. Durinl
the week he made several Inquiries, and b
learned that this thing had been praeticed al
summer on every Sabbath afternoon. II
made his parishioners keep quiet, ane on tn
o. next Sunday he would make his appesranc
on the very spot and catch them in their deed
of iniquity. On the iollowin Sabbath, ai'
or dinner, Mr.. Ridewel ordered PomPey
bring up old Morgan and put him in tn
stable. The order was obeysd, though nc
without misgivugs on the part OF the fa'thfi
negro. As soon as the afternoon service
were closed, the two deacons and some otl
ers Of the members OF the church accompan
ed the minister home, together with the
horses.
"It is the most fragrant piece of irreligio
that ever came to my knowledge" said 4
indignant clergyman.