Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-12-22
An Unexpected Race.

cHuSeCUS, uScQ 10 i've q clergy
man whom we will call Ridewell.
He was of an orthodox persua-
sion, and very rigid in his ideas
of moral propriety. He had in
his employ an old negro named
Pompey /; and if this latter In
dividual was not so strict in his
morals as his,master, he was at
least very cunning dog, and
passed in the reverend house
hold for pattern of propriety.
Pompey was a useful servant,
and the old clergyman never
hesitated to trust him with the
most important business.
Now it so happened that there
were, dwelling in and about the
town, sundry individuals who
had not the fear of the dread
ful penalties which Mr.. Ride
well preached about, before their
eyes, for it was the wont of
these people to congregate on
Sabbath evenings upon the level
piece of land in the outskirts
of the village, and there race
horses. This spot was hidden
from view by a dense piece of
woods, and for long while the
Sunday evening races were
carried on there without detec-
ton by the officers, or those who
might have stopped them.
1t also happened that the
good old clergyman owned one
of the best horses in the county.
This horse was of the Morgan
stock, with a mixture of the
Arabian blood in his veins, and
it was generally known that
few beasts could pass him on
the road. Mr.. Ridewell, with a
a dignity becoming his calling,
stoutly declared that the feet
ness Of his horse never offered
him any qualification, and that
for his own part he would as
leave have another. Yet mon
ey could not buy his Morgan,
nor any amount Of argument
persuade him to swap.
The church was so near the
good clergyman's dwelling that
he always walked to the meet
ing, and his horse was conse-
quently allowed to remain in
the pasture.
Pompey discovered that the
races were on the tapis, and he
resolved to enter his. masters
horse on his own account, for
he felt sure that Morgan could
beat anything in the shape of
horsefesh that could be pro-
duced in that quarter, So on
the very next Sunday afternoon
he hid the bride under his jack
ct, went out into the pasture
and caught the horse, and then
rode off toward the spot where
the wicked ones congregated.
Here he found some dozen hors-
es assembled, and the racing
was about to commence. Pom
pey mounted his beast, and at
the signal he started. Old
Morgan entered into the spirit
of the thing and came out two
rods ahead of anything, So
Pompey won quite a pile, and
before dark he was well initia-
ted in horse-racing.
Pompey succeeded in getting
home without exciting any sus-
picions, and he now longed for
the next Sabbath afternoon to
come, for he was determined to
try it again. He did go again,
and again won /; and this course
of wickedness he kept up fol-
two months, making his ap-
pearance on the racing ground
every Sunday afternoon, as
soon as he could after meeting
was out" And during this
time Pompey was not the only
one who had learned to love
the racing. No, for old Nor
gan himself had learned to love
the excitement of the thing, too
and his every motion, when up
ON the track, showed how
zealously he entered into the
spirit Of the game.
But these things were not al
ways to remain a secret. One
Sunday pious deacon beheld
this racing from distance, and
straightway went to the par.
son with the alarming intelli-
gence. The Rev. Mr.. Ridewel
was utterly shocked. His NOR.
. al feelings were outraged, ano
he resolved to at once put a stoI
? Ito the wickedness. During
, the week he made many inqui'
ries, and he learned that this