Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-12-02
sylonth' q Column.
SOME WONDERFUL PONIES.

In 1865, Mrs. L sent a Scotch
man to the Shetland Islands to buy DO
MES for her, but with Instructions not
to bring any one that was over forty
inches in height. After six months he
returned with Lucy, Rebecca. May En-
sign and Jessie: he had brought fifth,
which died on the passage; but it was
thought very fortunate that he was able
to get four to America they are rarely
transported safely, the change of food
being so great. This man, however,
wisely brought enough of their own
food to get them safely to America with
out any change being necessary. The
food was dried fish and sea-weed This
seems strange food for horses; but these
ponies utterly scorned grain, grass or
hay, until they found they could have
no more fish to eat.
Lucy. the eldest. is black pony, so
old that her is gray and SO gentle that
nothing can startle her, and she is al
ways ready to be driven or ridden by
children. Rebecca, brown, is often
called grandmother she is SO very staid
and correct, that she never will stray
away, no matter how many gates are
open, and will virtuously pass by the
gate of the kitchen garden if it happens
to be open-a temptation the others new
er can resist. Rebecca has great affec-
ton for very large family horse named
George, and, during the summer, it is
one of the sights of the place to go to
the stable and see George and Rebecca
keeping each other free from their COM
mon enemy, the fly. Rebecca will stand
by the heels of George, whisking her
tail around his legs, and he will swing
his heavy tail about her body, perform
ing the same kindly service of driving
the flies away they stand in this way
for hours, keeping each other very COM
Portable.
! May Ensign, also brown, is the swift
est pony in the collection; and these
aforementioned ponies, Lucy, Rebecca,
May Ensign, are thirty eight inches in
height. Jessie is the pretttest; she is
-colored, with dark line from
name to tail, and is smaller than the
others, being not quite thirty-six inches
high. Here also we find the twin
brothers Henry Ward Beecher and Char
| ley only thirty-six inches high they are
SO perfectly matched that you cannot
tell them apart They came from Buffa-
10 four or five years ago, with a drove
of sheep from Scotland; the drover
brought them with him meaning to
take them West !; but, upon reaching
Buffalo, he found them so emaciated,
that he feared to take them farther, and
sold them to gentleman in the city,
who afterwards sold them to their pre-
sent mistress. They are justly consider
ed one of the most curious sights of the
place, and when their mistress appears
in the park with the twins, as leader in
her .four-in hand" do you wonder that
the children think that there never was
such a wonderful equipage seen before
The grown people think SO, too, judging
by the great number that invariably
follow her as she sits in her little car
riage (made, in London, to suit the size
of the smallest ponies) and drives along
sometimes with child beside her, Of
,, whom. perhaps, she does not even know
. the name, but who "want to wide.' and
!, with her groom sitting behind in the
rumble. But we have not yet mention.
ed the three ponies which are considered
by their mistress as her "gems." On
the tape measure find thirty-two inches
that is the height of fine bay pony
Frank Tracy. Now, look at this beau
= ty. Agnes Ethel, the most perfect little
:, animal. and only thirty inches high
and at this other fellow, George Wash
: ington $50 named, because it was Cen
= tennlal colt). of the same height a
Il Agnes Ethel, thirty inches. Does i
n seem possible that such ponies are il
/, daily use in prosaic, matter-of-fac
Il country like ours? But they really are
:. and many strangers 60 to see them
y and, presume, some of your children
n may have heard of them before an,
| any of you can see them, if you like
n and ever come to the good city of Buffa
70 lo.-St. Nicholas.