The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-02-09
AN UNEXPECTED RACE.

In one OF the largest towns OF W or
cester county, Massachusetts,, used to
live clergyman whom wo will call
Ridewell Ho was Of the Baptist per.
suasiou, aud very rigid 10 his ideas Of
moral propriety. Ho had 10 his en-
ploy an old negro named Pompey
aud if this latter individual was not 50
strict as his master. he was at least Il
very cunning dog, and passed in the
reverend household for pattern OF
propricty. Pompcy was u useful SER
want, aud the old clergyman never hes
itated to trust him with the mos,
important business.
Now II so happened that there
werc, dwelling in and out Of the town,
sundry individuals who had not the
fear Of the dreadful penalties which
Mr.. Ridewcll preached about, before
their eyes, for il wa. the wont Of thcs,
people to concregate on Sabbath eve
ninas upon level piece Of land in the
"utskirts of the village, and there race
horses. This spot was hidden from
view by a dense piece Of woods and
for long timc the Sunday evening
races wcro carried on there without
detection by the officers, or those who
might have stopped them.
1t also happened that the Pool old
clergyman owned ono of the best
horses in tho country. This horse
was of the Morgan stock, with mix
turc of the Arabian blood in his veins
aud it was generally known that few
beasts could pass him on the road -
Mr. RldewelI, with q dignity bee omiug
his calling, s'oltly declared that the
licctncs1 of his horse never afforded
him any gratiie alton, and that for his
own part ho would as lief have any
other. Yet money could not buy his
Morgan, nor any amoun, Of argument
persuade him to swap.
The church was 50 near to tho good
clcrsyman's dwelling that he always
walked To meet ting, aui his horse was
consequently allowed to remain 10 the
pas IRE.
Pompey iii scovered that the races
were on the tapis, and no resolved to
enter his IN aster's horse on his own
account, for lie felt sure that old Nor
gan could beat any thingiu the shape
OF horse flesh that could be produced
in that quarter. So on the next Sau-
day afternoon he hid the bride under
his jacket, we ut out into the pasture
and caught the horse, and then rode
t"ward tho spot whero the wicked
ones were congregated Here he found
some dozen horses a. sembled, and the
racing was about to commence. Pom.
pey mounted his beast. aud at the sig
nal he started. Old Morgan entered
into the spirit of the thing, and came
out two rods ahead of everything 81
Pompey won quite pile, and before
dark he was well initiated iu horse
racing,
Pompcy succeeded in getting home
without exciting any suspicious, aud
he now longed for the next Sunday
afternoon to come, for he was determ-
ined to try it again. He did 20 agaio,
and again he won aud this course Of
wickcduess he kept up for months,
making his appearance one the racing
ground every Sunday afternoon as
soon as he could after meeting was
out" And during this time Pompey
was not tue only one who had learned
to love racing, No, for old Morgan
himself had learned to love tho ex-
citement of the thing, too. AMI hi,
every motion when upon the track,
showed how zealously he entered iuto
the spirit of tho game.
But these thin.s were not ALWAYS
to remain secret, One Sunday a pirus
deacon beheld this racing from dis
tauce, and straghtway went to the
parsoa with the alarming intelligence. |
The Rev. Mr.. Ridewell was utterly
shocked, His moral feelings were
outraged, aud he resolved at once to |
put n stop to the wickedness During
the week he made many inquiries, aud
he learned that this thing had been
practiccd all summer, on every Sunday
afternoon. Hc bade his parishioners
kesp quiet, and told them that on the
next Sunday he would make his ap-
pesraocs on tie very spot aud catch
them in their acts Of wickedness.
On the following Sabbath after din.
uer Mr., Ridewell ordered Pompey to
bring up old Morgan aud put him in
tho stable. The order was obeyed,
though not without maOy misgiyings