Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-02-09
VOLUME XXVI.

long legs seemed to lay claim to an admix-
ture of English blood. Kitty was saddle
nag as well as buggy-horse, and the Cap
tain always chose her when he had IA
tiguing ride to take; though, for my part,
/ Should have scorned to be seen mounted
on an ugly, stump-tailed thing like her.
This is ingratitude, however; 1 have
never had a more devoted friend than
Kitty. She was assigned to the duty of
taking me out to "mother's house." where
she was always pleased to go, for l used
to take her out of the harness and let her
run loose under the orchard trees. ! have
never met with horse so expert at pick
ing apples as she was; she never injured
the trees, and seemed to know exactly
which were the best eating apples.
When the time came to go home, Kitty,
like sensible, grateful horse, was always
on hand; the only trouble was to get her
back into harness again-it generally be-
ing Just milking time then, and l never
liked to admit to any OF the men that L
could not harness horse as well as saddle
it. So, it happened that, after | got on the
road, Kitty would stop. short and refuse to
60 step farther Whipping would do no
good on such occasions she would only
switch her tail, stamp her foot impatiently,
and turn her head around, as If to say ::
Don't YOU know that l have good rea-
sons for acting SOP" On throwing down
the lines, and examining the harness,
would be sure to find that some buckle had
been left unfastened, or some strap was
dragging under her feet. One day sol
dier came to my assistance, and he said it
was the greatest wonder in the world
that the horse had not kicked the buggy
to pieces, for I had fastened buckle on
the wrong side, and with every step she
took the buckle had pressed sorely into
poor Kitty's flesh. l could appreciate
Kitty's good behavior all the more for hav-
ing seen her kick dashboard and shafts to
sp1inters, one day, when the Captain drove
her, and some part OF the harness gave
way.
The friendship, however, was recipro-
cal; for many a bucket OF cool, fresh
water, many a tea-tray full OF oats, and
many an apple and lump of sugar had
Kitty received at my hands, when she
stopped at the door, or was taken into the
hack ward. to await her masters leisure to
ride. The saddle she liked best, for under
it she could move about in the yard. She
would follow me like dog, and tried to
make her way into the basement one day,
where had gone to get some grain for
her. always kept a sack of oats in the
house, as we had no stable, and the horses
were boarded at a stable down town; but
Kitty wouId have gone without her dinner
many a time. had It not been for "private
feeds cave her. as the Captains opinion
was that horses should not be pampered
and spoiled" Kitty knew how much |
thought of her, and sometimes presumed
on it, too. I have known her-at times,
when the Captain brought her into the
ward late at night, previously to sending
her to the stable-to set up such whin-
nying stamping and snorting, that, to the
Cantain's infinife amusement. was com
neIIed to leave INV bed and bring her a
handful of oats or a niece of sugar. And
On the street If T met the CAPTAIN mount
ed on or riding behind Kitty. she would
instantlv stem On the Sidewalk and make a
dive for NV nocxet. to extract the apple
che fancied Concealed there. Moreover
She would allow Tiny to climb all over
her back: but Dick she always greeted
with a snort. and occasionally with kick.
o. d.,, +ha Ca,,+a;r f,,rr;sha5 ya1ua-
t,e addi+;op icy ',to to tha hannv familv With
n,,t t =, tbo IooSt ;,tan;pG to do 60 tt
Seo,,,s 0uv - +bat met 90 he was 1eav;n~ the
S",Se ha aD Sa,y 9"or o., oren InarEet- -wagoT and
t1o ~ sor,or, at;ollaT,s hro;l,To in Tho
Tn T,11 >, CIV NV The mon offared to selI him
4I. I, III
r.. n,1an a. fanoo anJ oaI1od 70 tho
snela otei sse aonH, ~ sa; % .s fat1e W ti,o tho
set soi o1' " ".a ~ Jio O,dnS a. .aao
.oos VI .no poS3t I1a, s. o+h;re, " ~ va a.
ts ;Stono" 1 ~ tta @ ah;olonS I'll T;n7,S hori,io
attrooted u NV e attant;on Thern iav the tla tvs
ab;cTens gasnine and naming and the
doos Ike ali little natures exhibited
rreat da1;oht OF ha;nr ahIa to worry and
SS;stross t6a moor defanceIess little crea-
t,,ro. d,o rroS tho ,,oor tbinrc into the
sI,odo ~ fbSo;r fat+ars ord Gono tbaro
e ea5, 10y Ha ~ ), o. nf +bo ob;oI-o1,s
aoou anu Soathorod ,oostar 70 'H 4ho ntbar
VIC; 81 S ho,, ,bo oSh;h;tod to -, 49,, !"
p a,1er h,r for he host sense in tbis tbat sbe
did NOT strncgle to oct awav from me as
&c tigbt;ng RilIvn did hnt allowed me tn
nasS NV hand over her soft dress accom-,
pponv;nG p eaoh strote With q low crooninr o.
( o11n os tborrb 1v;sf;nr 10 ay
;oe, e III, I,S .-.. W
press. her Satisfaction with her present
poslIion. Wueh tnouSe1 enI oi!Lohehs eil
Mele po.n sdle anu IunlSl.anle f,;.. III .ne
yau WIZ e. uun az " go nS W tbo s;ttin
p.ao - .,,,,,,,o, ,-o
USm orS;nor;1v worm and ' had m"e renes1eJir ntTI
1,andara3 oT % nror the the bonse IN searoh of
the "coo1est Mace" but had ALWAYS re-
turned to this. Not far from me was a
window. from which the shutters were
thrown back directly after noon. as there
was shade then on this side of the house
and nearly onnosite was a door LEADING to
a v;ne.clad porch Glad enonch to 6ass
q mart of the hot afternoon in s;esfn
mps pa,u s,rnr;sad om Wah;n~ and strotcbino os1,
out NV feet. to pus6 against a soft
round ball: and the slow "craw craw''
l heard, caused me to start to a sitting
posture. There, sure enough, was Chicky,
cuddled up close to my feet, repeating her
monotonous song every time deigned to
take notice of her. / had never believed
before that chickens had brains enough to
feel affection or gratitude toward any
body; but wish to state as an actual fact,
that Chicky, as long as she was in nv DOS
session, never let a day pass that she did
not come fluttering up the low steps to the
porch, and visit me in the sitting room.
During my regular siesta she was always
beside me; and i'll attempted to close the
door against her, she would fly up to the
window and come in that way. Indeed,
she wanted to take up her roost there alto.