The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-04-21

uy. SuOu HoTSes Ddluy INo SOUuGT Slla
than from those eyes shot forth four streaks
of fire, and with one tremendous lunge and
yell of desperation that animal pulled the
gate up by the roots and rushed off with
two rods of the fence which hadn't been
built week. He met my mother-in-law
at the corner. So did the fence. And, as
the left-hand post tripped her into the
two rods of loose palings and keeled her
head-first into the flying gate, gave thanks
for my creation and murmured through my
broken jaw as stroked my plastered ear,
q 7 -et now thy servant depart in peace"
never yet let well-enough alone, and as
her parasol sailed off upon the breeze into
the blue empyrean and that horse diappear-
ed amidst a shower of splinters, sixpenny
nails and cedar posts, ambled toward my
mother-in-law. My blackened eyes soon
detected the spot of earth whereon she lay,
and as hustled her up with my twisted
foot counted the pieces left of Mrs. Jones.
You've heard of hash-that was what my
mother-in-law had come to. A mighty
heap of corsets, false teeth and someone
else's hair. Just like any mother-in-law.
"Ahv' / meditated, "Ah at last, at last!
And is this all that's left of thee?" I've
suffered, but now forgive. The horse
that did me up has done thee brown-but I
wonder if you've left enough te'buy cof-
fin with ?'
I never knew how it happened-or how she
came to life - nor how she mustered
strength enough to grasp that fence-stake
with which she laid me fiat. And asI wal
lowed in the dust and scrambled from a
mass of broken fence, she gathered up her
remnants, and recuperating like the Ph@-
nix, marched off triumphant with my
crutches, not even leaving my stays be-
hind. .a
RECONCILIATION. ...
They say that time makes all things
even, and when that horse came home for
poultices, and the doctor had to bandage
up my mother-in-law and me, Jane brought
about a reconciliation. So, when nursing
had brought lis both around, Jane said we'd
better get some air. She borrowed a
neighbours buggy and had that horse
hitched to it, and Jane and Mrs. Jones and
I went out to ride. protest started out
at peace with all the world, and so did
Jane and so did that horse; but as Jane
drew forth bag Of gingerbread and talked
as sweetly as Jane alone can talk, and that
horse ambled on at a beautiful jog-trot,
Mrs. Jones began to get her tlander up.
Things were too peaceable for any mother
in law; and Mrs. Jones snapped about this
and snapped about that, and at last she
grabbed the reins and declared wasn't fit
to drive cow. "Two minds that think
as one." If that horse was kiyus that
woman was mule, and as she seized the
lines the devil entered that horse, and
smashing in the dash board he made side
ways with his head between his legs for
the nearest fence. That fence is mixed up
with $400 buggy now, and when Jane was
picked out of the wreck, mingled mass
of mud, and Jane and gingerbread, and
that horse was hauled off with a rail clean
through him, it required the incest dis
elimination whereby to select the pieces
properly belonging to all that remained Of
my mother-iu-law.
"Oh, Vesuvy," sobbed Jane, (Jane calls
me Vesuvy) "Oh, Vesuvy, how shall we
pay for that buggy and bury mother de-
Gently ?''
"We'n haul her along with that horse,
Jane,' said /.
s'But he'll run away and break her."
said Jane, and that rail is sticking in him
yet"
"Let it stick" said I, that &c woman goes
to her long home behind that horse, or else
she'll hoof it..
And>when we put the old lady into the
wagon and started that horse along that
horse knew who was in the box, for he
started alone and ran the whole distance,
and when he reached the grave he stopped
short and out popped the coffin all stand
ing. Then he started for town, wagon
box down and wheels in the air, and when
7 paid for damages this thought consoled
me-"It's cost you dear, but you we lost
mother-in-law."
The man who sold me that horse has red
hair and squints. He's got more such
horses. He's off on business. Look out
for him. j. V. b.