The Red Cloud chief., 1878-11-28
TINE PARSONS HORSE RACE.
HARRIET sErcusR srows

WAL now this he'c does bcht ALL
wouldn't n thought IL II the doncon''
40 npok. Sam Lawson. dropping In
. discouraged. con,emplativo attitude
In front ~ an equally discouraged look.
Ing horse. that had Just been brought
10 him BY the widow simpkins. Tor
medical treatment. Among Sans &C.
complishmcht-. he was reckoned In the
nclghborhood an oracle In all matters
of this Kind. especially by the women.
whose hclplcssness In meeting such
emergencies found unfailing solace In
his compassionate Willingness IA at
tend ~ any business that did not strict
IN belong Ia him, aud from which no
pccuniAry return could possibly be- OK.
pcctcd.
Tho widow Simpkins had bought this
horse Of Deacon Atkins, apparently a
fairly wcll.nppointed brute. and capR-
bio NJ he vas g~ood.looking. A short.
casy drive when tho deacon held tho
reins. had shown on his points Ia nd.
vantage. and the widows small stock
Of ready savings had come forth freely
In payment Tor what she thought was a
bargain. When. soon after coming In.
IN possession. she discovered that hcr
horse. II driven with any haste. painted
In 4 fearful manner, and that he appear.
al 10 M growing lame. she waxcd very
wroth. went Ia the deacon In anger. to
be- met only with the smooth reminder
that tho animal was all right when shc
took him-and that she had seen him
tried herself. Tho widow was Of a mn.
turc somewhat spicy, and expressed
herself warmly;
Its n cheat and = shame, aud I'll
take the law ON ye."
"WhAt law VIII YOU takcp Wasn't Il
II n fair bargainP" said the unmovcd
deacon.
"l'll take the law VI God" said tho
widow. with impotent Indignation. and
she departed Ia pour her cares and sor.
rows into the over.rcady u of Sam.
Having assumed the Arc Of the ami.
NAL, he now sat contemplating Il In n
sort II trance Of melancholy rcflcc-
lions,
.'Why. boys" he broke out. why
didn't she come Ia me aforc she bought
this critturr Why. knew all about
himl That ore crittur was Jest ruined
u year ago last summer, when 1om. tho
dcacon's boy thcrc. come home from
college, Tom driv him over In Sher.
burn aud back that ere hot Fourth Of
July. l remember IL; cause | saw the
crittur when he GENE home. and q up
with Tom taking care IL him all night;
that crittur had the thumps all night,
AMI he hasn't never bccn good for moth.
Ing since, telled the deacon he was
\ goned hoss then. aud wouldn't never
DO good for nothing. The deacon he
took oil his shoes and IL, him run TO
pasture all summer. and he's been a
feeding and n nursing 81 him up. aud
now he's put OF an the widder, I
wouldn't u thought Il of the deacon,
Why. this hoss'N never DO any good Ia
her; that crr's q used.up c%rittur, any
fool may sec, He'll myabe do for q
quarter III Nh hour on q smooth road,
but come To drive him ~ u body wants
to drive. why. he blows like my bel.
lowsis; and the deacon knew Unjust u
known itr'
why. Sam. amt tho deacon a good
mAnf" we exclaimed.
''WM, now. there's whore tho shoe
pinchesl In q ginerAl way the deacon
IL q good man. He's ccnginerable more
than middlin' good-ginerally he's AN
honor 10 his perfession. On most all
pints ] don't hcv nothing Agir the dea-
con, and this here amt q bit like him
but there Il IL! Como TO hosscs. there's
where the unsanctifed natur comes out
--tolks will cheat about hosses when
they won't about nothing else"
And Sam leaned back on his cold
forge. now empty Of coal, and seemed
70 deliver himself 10 . moarnful train
Of general reflections.
"fis. hosses do seem 10 be- sort Of UNI
degenerate Critters" he said. there's
something about HOSES that dcceives
The very elect; the very best Of folks
yit tripped up when they comes to deal
n hossss."
why, Sam. Is there anything bad In
horsesy' we interjectsd tlmidly.
''Tain't the hosses. boys" said Sam.
solemnly. 'Lordy mAssy. the hosses
10 oil right enolgh-hosscs IL scriptoo-
raj animals; Elijah went, up to heaven
In . chari't with hosses; and thea. all
them lots Of hosses In the RavslatioAs,
black. and white, and rcd. al sorts Of