The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-23
A FIERY STEED.


after her sister April-who had just
left in shower of tears-with a
smile upon her lips and a wondrous
rainbow halo on her head.
The young naples began to blush
in happy conciousness of her APP
proach, and the delicate pink and
the white blossoms on the orchard
trees opened their dainty leaves and
shyly flung a welcoming fragrance
on the soft, clear air.
All through the fields and mead
ows, the wales and woodlands, and
over the hills ran the violets and
trailing arbutus and May-buds and
daisies and their sister flowers, tel
ling glad tidings of sunny days and
moonIit nights and lovely butterflies
and sparkling raindrops and busy
humming bees, and birds, swinging
on slender green beughs, sang in
sweet twittering notes to each other:
Neighbor, soon we shall see the roses.
Along pleasant, winding, lonely
country road, with splended great
apple and pear trees standing on
either side, and the spring flowers
dotring the green carpet SO thlckly
that the green is almost hidden,
comes slowly on this poets May
day, a diminutive, old, odd looking
white horse, drawing small market
wagon filled with household furni-
ture, accompanied by an enormous
shaggy Newfoundland dog, and as
pretty a country maid as ever milk
ed COW, or made pot of golden
butter.
The broad-brimmed straw hat she
wears shaded a low brow TO which
clings babyish ringlets of hair the
color of glossy, satin-smooth butter
cups, a pair of innocently roguish
ewes, checks of brown with an under
lying tinge of rose, a charming red
Tipped mouth, and firm, round
chin.
Across the brow, however, at this
moment fits the shadow of a frown,
and look of comic perplexity comes
into the sweetyoung face. The old
looking horse has stopped in the
middle of the road and remains per-
fectly motionless, staring straight
before him, save when he bends his
head to take nibble of the flower
thick grass, as though suddenly OBJ
livious Of everything under the sun
except the tranquility of the June
like May afternoon.
''Oh, Charley! Charley 90 on
do that's a dear" coaxes the girl
coming to his side and gently pat
ting his head with her little brown
ungioved hand but Charley merely
whisks too familiar fly away with
his forlorn old tail and makes no
further sign.
Charley, good korse, Charley
oh! why didn't 1 bring some carrots
with me?-Charley, you bad, bad
fellow, if you don't go on, I'll whip
you sure as you stand there. Come,
he a darling" And thus she alter
nately begs and threatens, Lion as
sisting in dog language, with an
occasional dash at the heels of his
obstinate enquine TREND, but Char
ley refuses to be a "darlin," plants
his feet more firmly and never stirs !;
and at last, with an air of resigna-
ton, she goes back to the path, seats
herself on rude seat formed by ma
ture Of the gnarled roots of a mis-
hapen old tree, and waits patiently
for at least ten minutes. At the end
of this time Charley looks about
with just waked-up expression in
his eyes, as if to say, Dear Dear
/ quite forgot there was work to be
DONE" and starts off with quick
step that gradually becomes slower
and slower.
With a sigh of relief the young
girl arises and follows-Lion bound
ing back from the wood, where he
has been making hasty explorations,
having it in his mind that his mis-
tress is not to be left without his
protection for more than two min
utes at a time, takes his place at her
side-and the perplexed look fades
away into smile that brings to light
two rows of pearl-white teeth.
But alas the smile is premature.
In another ten minutes again over
come by the beauty and peacefulness
of the day, Charlie falls into reverie,
stops once more, and once more re-
fuses most decidedly to "go on"
And in this manner does that
dreadful horse behave for an hour,
making short progress and long
pauses, until coming to the conclu-
sion that there had been quite
enough of this sort of thing, he de-
iberately drags the wagon to the
side of the road, takes up his station
beneath a wide-spreading oak and
proceeds to MUNICH the grass at his
feet, with look in his eyes that
say as plain as words From this
spot move me if you can."
'0h, Charley how can you ?"I
begins the girl, loudly and indig-
nantly following him with her small
hands clasped beseechingly. "Oh,
you wicked, Charleyw
did you call me?" asks a mas
cular voice, to her great astonish-
ment; as with a light start she
turns in the direction of the voice
she sees young man walking rap
idly towards her the sound of his
approaching footsteps having been
completely lost in theinquiring bow
vows of her canine guardian.
did you call me?" he repeats.
"No, sir" she replies, blushing
prettily, and looking at him with
frank, child-like eyes. 81 was speak
ing to the horse. Be still Lion"
beg your pardon. / thought for
an instant you were speaking to me.
1t seems that / have the honor of
being a namesake of your fiery stecd.
But you are in trouble. What is
the matter? Can l help you in any |
way?"
There is nothing very serious the |
matter" she says with smile. "We
are moving to-day, and father went |
on ahead a long time ago, having |
some busineasSfo setfle with our new