Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-08-08
THE NICHOLAS MARE.

g THE N1CHOLAS MAKE.
The nicholas Mare" was a beast o
G extraordinary speed and endurance
Like most rare animals, whether human
or brute, she was eccentric in her habits
1t matters not who owned her at the time
of the incident we are about 10 relate,
suffice it TO say the owner was a sensible
man, and a thorough horseman his pre-
objection for horse-fesh, more than any,
thing else, having driven him into the
livery business. Next to the wife OF
his bosom he loved the Nicholas mare
: a fact of which both females are sensible,
without being al all jealous of each other.
For this reason the mare was hired only
to particular customers and, when let,
the party hiring was always carefully
instructed as to the peculiarities Of the
animal. A particular friend, unacquaint-
ed with the animal of her habits, and
troubled with an impeachment in his speech,
as well as with a native infirmity of tenn
per, which prevented him exercising any
charity for living creatures of slow and
tardy motion, once applied TO our livery
man for a horse, for a journey of a dozen
miles or so, taken for the purpose of
bringing his wife home from her fathers
house, whittier she had been on a visit
The contract ran Ihus:-
al w.w-want a horse-a good 'un-
one thatll s-s-s-start the minute you
s-s-sa.say 'Pw.Pwh-Pwhistr a-an-andn
go like thunder"
"Suit you, guess" was the reply.
"We-we-well, out with her then"
The mare was put between the thills
of a nice light buggy, her harness thor
oughly adjusted by the owner, the reins
carefully laid over the dashboard, and the
usual chapter of advice opened concern
ing her management.
40, g-g-git out with your directions,
can drive, guess interrupted the lessee;
and picking up the reins, he sprang for
the seat, but landed heels up upon the
buggy bottom. The mare was off! but
the driver being game, had the command,
as he thought, through recovery of the
lines upon which he pulled as though re-
solved "to do or die" A slight smile was
visible upon the demure face of the lessor
as the vehicle receded from sight at a
killing pace, and nothing more was known
until the ext day, when our friend with
the impediment made his appearance with
the mare, but without his wife. As he
drove up a cloud ~o'erspread his face as he
saw the lessor at the stable door
"W-w-what k-ki-kind of an incarnate
b.br-brute dye c-ca-call this }"
sBest horse in the stable"
well ! / started for D."
ayes | know it,
"W-well, before | could stop, went to
H, (33 miles, drove back this morn.
ing. You k-kn-know fathers door yard
half a mile wide 2"
ayes, well ?"
"W-w-well-old man-my-b-b-bro
brother Jim, hired man and visitors be-
sides, tt-lri.tri-tried for two hours 10 get
w-wi-wiie into the wagon-and couldn't
do it d-d-de-devlish critter danced col
lege ~hornpipes all r.r-round /; an-an-and
over some of us-bui not a passenger
could we get H."
"How did you get IN"
"Tell you. Old mans foxy as a law
yer. Told me 10 lake her ont. | did
Told ne to g-g-get in. did, and after
l got in they hiiched the mare, and he-hc-
here | be. W-w-wo-wouldn't give a
Spanish dollar for the mare, though she
did come the twelve mics in f~-forty-eight
minutes"
"Why 2"
"Look at my hands,"
They were-one blister. The lessor
smiled.
"If you had listened 10 me all this
would have beea avoided /; allow the lines
10 remain untouched until you are seated,
and she never starts till You tell her.
Drive her with a slack rein, she will go
as slow as you DESIRE
The truth of this statement was at once
tested by trial, and resulted as was as
serted-Precisely but the driver was
punished for his Impotence, and ever
from that Gay insists upon having a horse
that wont 's-st-siart the minute you say
P-p-phwist ! amigo like thunder
Worcester Transcript.
C~uRIoUs.-It is difficult 10 account for
the association, but il would seem from
the Handbook of proverbs" just Iub-
Z lished, that there are more proverbs or
WUm-n' and +" Clis" than upon any
oth.r subjecl.
WHEN fame is regarded as the end,
and merit as only the means, men are
apt to dispense with the latter, ifthe for
mel can ' hcut it.