The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-06-21
Select Story.
A FIERY STEED.

! bright smile upon her lips, and wonder
,us rainbow halo around her head.
The young naples began to blush in hap
py consciousness Of her approach, and the
delicate pink and white blossoms on the
orchard trees opened their dainty leaves and
,hyly flung welcoming fragrance on the
soft clear air.
All through the fields and meadows, the
Wales and woodlands, and over the hills, ran
the violets and trailing arbutus and May
buds and daisies and their sister flowers,
flowers, telling the glad tidings of sunny
days and moonlit nights, and lovely butter
flies and sparkling rain drops and busy hum
ming bees and the birds swinging on slen-
der green boughs, sang in sweet twittering
notes to each other:
"Neghbor soon we shall see the roses"
A long pleasant, winding, lonely country
road, with splendid great apple and pear
trees standing ON either side, and the spring
flowers. s.dotting the green carpet so thckly
that the green Is almost hidden, comes slowly
on this poets May day, diminutive,
odd-looking white horse, drawing a market
wagon filled with household furniture, ac-
companied by an enormous shaggy New
foundland dog and as pretty a country maid
as ever milked a COW or made pat of golden
butter.
The broad brimmed straw hat she wears
shades low brow to which clings babyish
rings of hair the color of the glossy, satin.
smooth butter cups, pair of innocenty
roguish eyes, cheeks brown with an underly-
ing tinge of rose, charming red Tipped
mouth, and firm, round chin.
Across the brow, however, at this moment
fits the shadow of n frown, ard n look of
comic perplexity comes into the sweet young
face. The odd looking horse has stopped
in the middle of the road and remains per-
fectly motionless, staring directly before him
save when he bends his head to take nib
BILE at the flower thick grass, as though sud-
denly oblivious of everything under the sun
except the tranquility of the June-like May
afternoon.
oh, Charley! Charley go on-do!--
that's dearp coaxes the young girl, coming
to his side and gently patting his head with
her little brown ungloved hand but Char.
ley merely whisks a too. familiar fly away
with his forlorn old tail, and makes no fur
ther sign.
Charley, good horse, Charley oh why
didn't bring some carrots with me!-Char.
ley, you bad, bad fellow, if you don't go on
I'll whip you as sure as you stand there
Come, be darling And thus she alternate
ly begs and threatens, Lion assisting in dog
language, with an occasional dash at tn,
heels of his obstinate equine friend bu
Charley refuses to be darling plants hi
feet more firmly than ever, and never stirs
and at last, with an air of resignation, sh
goes back to the path, seats herself on Il rud
seat formed by nature Of the gnarled root
of the misshapen old tree, and waits patient.
for at least ten minutes. At the end of thi
| time Charley looks about with just-wake
| up expression in his eyes, as one who shoul,
say, Dearl dearl Iquite forgot there was wor
to be DONE and starts off with quick step
|
| With sigh of relief the young girl arise
and follows-Lion, bounding back from tn
wood, where he has been making hasty eX
plorations having it in his mind that hi
mistress is not to be left without his pre-
lection for more than two minutes at time
takes his place at her side-and the pei
picked look fades away into smile thg
brings to light two rows of pearl-whit
teeth.
But, alas the smile is premature. In N
other ten minutes, again overcome by ii
beauty and peacefulness of the day, Charlie
falls into reverie, stops once more, an
once more refuses most decidedly to z
on
And in this manner does that dreadil
horse behave for a whole hour, making sho
progresses and long pauses, until final
coming to she conclusion that there has bee
quite enough of this sort of thing, he d.
liberately drags the wagon to the side of I'll
road, takes up his station beneath vic
spreading oak, and proceeds to MUNICH IL
young grass at his feet, with a look in h
eyes that says as plainly as words, from th
spot move me if you can
'Oh, Charley Charley how can your b
gins the young girl loudly and indignant
following him with small brown hanC
clssped beseechingly. 'Oh, you wicke
wicked ChsrleyP
Did you call me p asks masculine voi
to her great astonishmet and as with
, slight start she turns in the direction of Il
, voice, she sees young man walking rapid
toward her, the sound of his approachiI
footsteps having been completely lost in Il
, inquiring bow-wows of her canine guardia
"Did you call me ?" he repeats.
"No. sir" she replies, blushing prettil
and looking at him with frank, chilkli
eyes. 81 was speaking to the horse.
still, Lion"
beg pardon. I thought for an insta
you were speaking to me. 1t seems ha
the honor of being a pamesake of yo
fiery steed. But you are in trouble. VIII
is the matter? Can help you in a
wsyf"
"There's nothing very serious the matter
she says, with a smile. "We are moving
day, and father went on ahead long VIII
ago, having some business to settle with O
new landlord, and he must be at this We
moment waiting for me at the house, a
wondering what in the world has become
me. You see,we have no boys in our fam
and the other girls are younger than myst
and father and mother both thought
being very quiet road-that Lion AM
could look after Charley and the furnitl
but Charley who generally behaves veryw'
., has been awfully contrary, and stopped ev'
moment, and the consequence is we hi
been already two hours on a journey Il
should have taken us but one, and thel