The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-08
trimmed with green, harmonized admirably with
the surroundings. To be sure, I had on my
fathers rubber boots !; but if

trimmed with green, harmonized admirably will
the surroundings. To be sure. I had on M,
fathers rubber boots but If
Your nisiden that walks in the morning
sshod IKE moanlaineer,p
What can you expect of your maiden who walk,
10 the evening, after three days storm ? Aftel
doing the dxlcs for reasonable length of time
attempted the stils, and approached the COW
expecting that she would be very much embar
raised and confused by my august advent
and immediately betake herself home, to hide
aer blushes. was never more mistaken il
my life. With . self possession and equauim
ny e9ualled only BY Charlotte, who, after see
ing Werter borne by on shutter went on
cutting bread and butter" Madame Brindle
stopped moment. gaxed at me g more in sor
row than in anger" and nonchalantly resumed
her cropping. This was an exigsncy for which
l was totally unpreparad. gazed blankly a,
her unconcefned ladyship. / had no stick ]
bad forgotteh the technical "Open sesamcn to
cows brain. After profound deliberation. ]
vent step nearer, and said, bravely, aShooi'
Brindle Gaed her head, cooked one eve at me
~ much a. TO say, I'm not a chicken" and
went On grazing as calmly as if no ripple had
disturbed the smooth sea of her life. Then ]
took another step, and said, less confidently
Seal" Archly she cooked her other eye al
me, evidently intending to be understood, " L n,
not kitten !" and munched, munehsd, MUNICH
ed away, imperturbably. Growing desperate
gave tremendous jump, and /" Stab 6oy ~
and ran back to watch the effect She nodded
her head at me, which interpreted into " Not
Just yet, my DEAR" then bobbed il, meaning
But I've no objection to giving you touch
Of my mettle !" and suddenly throwing off her
air of high-bred hauteur, elevating her tail
straight into the air, with elephantine, ungainly
and contemptuous gambols, two up and two
down, she rushed, leaped, and frisked, as only
malicious COW can, not home to her barn ward
as judicious and motherly COW should, hui
right into the bushes, and disappeared. The
leaves closed behind her.! and l stood at the
edge of the meadow insulted, chagrined, alone,
and burning to avenge my outraged honor. j
looked ct my white dress, thought of the
mud, felt the mosquitoes. heard the crack
ling OF the bushes. 1t was growing dark, and
in the bushes it looked very black. 1 remem.
bered the sad fate of the Children in the Wood
The Mysteries of Udolpho, the Castle of otran.
to, the facts in the case of M. de Valdemar,
presented themselves to my excited imagina.
ton. So, with as many maledictions on all
that chew the cud and divide the hoof as is
proper and becoming in young lady, drag.
ged my reluctant feet homeward, feeling that
was getting better of romantic very fast.
Speaking of q COW, reminds me of another
event. which, "with feelings of the deepest re.
greet" l am constrained to relate. can only
throw myself upon the mercy of a generous
public, for thus unbosoming my private griefs.
refer to the sudden, distressing, and terrible
demise of Dolly, our beloved and respected
horse, who departed this life about three weeks
ago. The exact time remains and will always
remain mystery. She had lately become the
mother of beautiful colt-strong, graceful,
playful, and promising had been sent into
q remote pasture, to recover her strength and
health. She was frequently visited by different
members of the family, and was considered to
be doing as we'll as could be expected. But
one fatal day she had been rambling with her
infant on q sunny hillside. Oh, treacherous
hill side, to cnsnare horse so dearl and occu.
pied, no doubt, in watching the gambols of her
charming babe she stepped unwarily into a
deep hole, knocked her thigh in two, and, un.
4Sss 20 oxtriaGte herself, died a lingering death.
far away from home and friends. There was
none to watch her expiring throes but her own
frightened and helpless offspring, whose sad
cries and laments could not snatch her from
impending doom.
Where were We, Gnomes, when the remorseless hole
Closed round the leg of our loved Doreiheag
Alas, poor Dolly! You were antic and flu.
rous In your young days. In your ungoverna-
BILE rage at being checked and curbed, you
backed as through closed gates, and over stone
walls. You hesitated not to rear your fore or
your hind legs to unwonted heights, or to send
them all forward with unheard-o rapidly.
But your wild oats we're speedily sown. In your
maturer years You waxed grave, gentle, and ex-
emplary. A numerous family, scattered over
all the land, bear witness to your motherly care
aud kindness. One, alas too early left to the
mercies OF strangers, goes his way sorrowing I;
casting eager and tremulous eyes hither and
thither, Tor the mother whose face he shall new
er more see. Reqniescat IN pace.
Apart from our sorrow for the loss of one
beloved, there is the Inconvenience of being
without horse. In a farming town, everybody
wants his horse to plough, or make hay, or 70 to
the m arsh. There are no stables. SO, if you wish
to take drive or ride, you have to scour the
country ten miles round. Grande and want
ed to visit our friends, eight miles away. To
be sure, we might have gone in the cars but
it is barbarous to think Of shutting yourself
up in an oblong box, with o hundred men and
women, in every stage Of decay, when you can
pony, through whispering pines and past fra
grant clover fields, at five o'clock in the morn
ing that was what we wanted to do. So we
started in pursuit of horses-I in one direction.
she in another. Young Mr. Biggs, had been
told, had an excellent saddle horse; Mr. Biges
lived three miles away. took "a short cut"
only two miles; climbed over seven pairs of
bars and four stone walls, and at length stood
knocking at the door of Mr.. Biggs, ECO. :, shoe
maker, Justice of the Peace, and Prudential
Committee Of the town of Burton. Young
,prite appeared at the door.
Does Mr.. Biggs live here9"
YES, ma'am."
Z" Is he at homer"
Yes, ma'sm."
+" should like to see him a moment
Hes in the shop, ma'am."
! turn to the little shop energetically, but
alter as l open the door and see the shoema-
Kers sitting on all sides. Gentleman with ex-
remely brilliant locks rises.
Are you Mr.. Biggs2"
No, ant; Pm his son, though"
Oh, you are Just the one want A half.
chuckle from the surrounding shoe
benches evinced their delight at this uneeuiv-
veal mark of my regard. / smother nv indig.
,ation, and go on. 81 am Mr.. Hamilton's
laughter want to get a horse. You have
Yes, ma'am."
Is he good saddle horse %
As gentle as q lamb, as easy as a feather
'ed, and as handsome as drawn picture"
l Am taken aback by this sudden flow of
hetoric, and We stand gazing at each other
while in silence.
"Praps you'd like to see him.
Yes, should like it very much" He con-
!ucts me TO the barn yard, brings out the horse,
displays his points, and enlarges on his excel
ences with Q volubility which / should not
uPpose him to possess but he understands
rs snoJect. listen patiently, and as soon as
here is q lull. ask. could Won Let me have him