National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-20
He Keeps Horse and Carriage.

| Auo "1n scsoSS tuo way, says IN
Danbury NeiUs, has o horse and csrri
age. We have none. Three saddle
words we never saw. The man acros
the way drives gaily forth ever,
pleasant afternoon with his wife besid,
him. And we envy him and can't hel,
it. There are others Of the neighbour
who envy him, and could we read eacl
Others hearts we would find that oul
thoughts were following the lucky
horseman in his various turns about
town, in his cantering here and trot
ting there, and in the shine Of his car
riage and the proud bearing OF his
horse. But II it is q sadness to see him
drive sway, there 10 pleasure in see
ing him come back. For it is darl
when he returns, the sunshine is gone,
and in its stead is darkness with frost
in it. He smiled complacently when
he handed his wife into the carriage,
but he doesn't smile when he hands
her out Perhaps the operation re.
quires 80 much care and attention that
1t would not be right to smile. We
know his nose is red because we can
see it as he drives by the lamp. We
know that his feet are frigid and that
his legs are asleep, by the way he gets
to see how wrong it is to envy our fel.
low-man. He looks at her as she runs
into the mouse and into the arms OF the
genial base-burner, and gloomily won
ders why heaven so favors her above
him. He stumbles painfully along to
the stable with the horse, which he
now thoroughly despises, rambling be.
hind him. His hands are 80 numb he
can hardly undo the fastenings of the
door his legs have awakened, and
appear to be reproaching him his eyes
are full OF water, and his soul overflow.
ing with discomfort. No harness was
ever before so difficult to remove as is
this. He feels the wrath bubbling up
to the highest water.mark, and he
could scream out-he is so mad. We
are seeing now howjwicked it is to envy
our fellow man. He hears footsteps on
the sidewalk, and sees the flash of
warm light shoot out into the cold air
as the various neighbors, having re-
turned from their work, nd having no
horse, disappear hastily within, and
take with them the bright, cheerful
light. He gets the horse in the door,
and starts to look up the lantern. He
bumps various parts of his anatomy
against articles it is too dark to learn
The nature Of. He would cry out in his
pain and misery were he not awed by
the astonishing profusion of the things
he is falling over. He gives up the
lantern and pulls off the harness to
hang it up. The straps dangle down
md get under his feet, and trip him,
md the impatient animal suddenly
oolts into the stall before it is fully un-
lressed. Then there is another search
or the lantern, and during it he raps
lis head against beam, and the blow
8 so violent that it stirs up every one
# his ideas, including the one which
ellis him that the lantern was taken
nto the house last night to be cleaned.
de stumbles back over the frozen clods |
nd into the house, where the bright |
light and warm air render him more |
'loomy and morose. He vouchsafes
10 information to the appropriate
[uery from his wife if it was cold out,
.ut darkly hints of impending retribu-
ion to whoever doesn't quit fooling |
nth that lantern; and then stalks back |
o the stable. And there for the next |
fteen minutss he employs himself in
rranging the bedding, mixing the
eed, and pondering on the advantage
q has over his neighbors in having a
orse and carriage of his own, to go
here he pleases, and come when he
; is dark.