Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-10-16
WOODSTOCK VT, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10. 1878.

TORS Tam, and used TO come clear
over from the other parishes to see
him,
wal, this ere sot up Cuffs back
high, can tell you, Cuf was the
doctors niger man, and he was nat
urally a dreadful proud crit
tur! The way he would swell and
strut and brag about tho doctor and
his folks and his thingsl The doctor
used to give Cuff his cast of clothes,
and Cuff would prance round in them,
aud seem to thiuk hc was the doctor
of divinity himself, and had the
charge Of all natur'.
wal, Cuff he reely made an idol OF
that ere hoss, n regular craven image,
and bowed down and worshipped him /
he didn't think nothing was too good
for hlm he washed and brushed aud
curied him, and rubbed him down
till he shone like ladys satin dress /,
and he took pride in riding aud driv-
ing him cause 1t was what the doctor
wouldn't let nobody else do but him
self. You zee, Tam wasn't no lady's
horse. Miss Williams was afraid as
death OF him, and tho parson he he'd
to git her sort OF low sperited crttur
that she could drive herself. but he
liked to drive Tam; and he liked to
90 round the country on his back,
and fine figure of man he was on
him too. lie didn't let nobody else
back him or handle the reins but Cuff,
and Cuff was drefful set up about it,
and he sweiled and Dragged about
that ar hoss all round the country.
Nobedy couldn't put in word about
any o,hershoss without Cuffs feathers
would be all up,-st'ff as a tom tur'
keys tail-and that's how Cuff got
the doctor into trouble.
'Ye see, there naturally was others
that thought they'd got hosses, and
didn't want to be crowed over. There
was Bill Atkins, out to the west par
ish, aud Ike Sanders, that kept n
stable up to Pequot Holler; they was
down a-ooking at the parsons hoss,
and betting on ,heir'n. and DARN
Cuff to race with them.
wal, Cuff he couldn't stand it, and
when the doctors back was turned
he'd be of on the sly and they'd hev
their race and Tam he beat 'em all.
Tam, ye see boys was a hoss that
couldn't and wouldn't hev a hoss
ahead OF him--he jest wouldn't! Eff
he dropped down dead in his tracks
the next mint, he would be ahead,
and he alters got ahead, and so his
name got up; and fel]ers kept coming
to try their hosses, and Cuf'd tako
Tam out to race with fust one and
then another till this ere got to be a
regular thing, and began to be talked
about.
Folks sort OF wondered ef the
doctor knew, but Cuff was sly as
weasel and alters had story ready for
every turn; Cuff was one of them
fellars that could talk a bird off a
bush-master hand he was to slick
things over!
There was folks as said they be-
lieved the doctor was knowing to it,
and that he felt sort OF carnal pride,
sech as a minister oughtn't for to hev,
and so shet his eyes as to what was a
going on. Aunt Sally Nickerson said
she was sure ont; twas all talked
over down to old Miss Bummiger's
funeral, and Aunt Sally she said the
church ought to look into it. But
everybody knew Aunt Sally; she was
alters watching for folks haltin's,
and setting on herself up to judge her
neighbors.
wal, never believed nothing agin
Parson Williams; it was all Cuffs
contrivances; but the fact was the
fellers all got their blood up, and
there was hoss racing in all the parish
es; and it got SO they'd even race
hosses on Sunday.
'Wal, of course they never could
get the doctors hoss out a Sunday.
Cuff wouldn't "a burst to do that,
Lordy massy, no He was alters there
in church settin' up in the doctors
clothes, rolling up his eyes and lookin'
as pious as eff he never thoug ht OF
racing hosses; he was an awful SOL
emn looking niger in church, Cuff
vas.
'But there was a lot of them tellers
up in Pequot Holler-Bill Atkins and
Ike Sanders and them Hokum boys
used to 60 out arter meetIn Sunday
afternoon and race HOSES Ye see, it