The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-09-30
JOHNNY AND THE HORSE.

johnny was very fond OF the country.
AT least he always said he was, and as
he had never been in it since he could
remember, of course nobody could prove
| that he was not. '"'''a' W
SO he was very glad when it was mr.
ranged that he. should visit at his grand
fathers during vacation. He had not
been there, he assured his friends at the
kindergarten, for quite a number of
years.
He had been promised that he should
ride on the pony his father had ridden
when he was boy, and he thought
more of that than of anything else. He
thought the pony must be the oldest one
in the world, but that was mistake,
for his father was not so very old.
1t was really very nice, plump,
sleek-looking little horse which Uncle
| Archie brought round that pleasant June
morning. He never did anything now
a-days but eat and stand under tree,
with, his eyes shut, switching the flies
with his tail.
nJohnny's grandmother and his aunts
came out to see, and grandmother was
little afraid Johnny might get hurt,
but he reminded her that he would be
seven years old next May. Uncle
Archie put him on old Jack and said:
" Now, Johnny, when you want to
stop you must say: "Whoa! and when
you want to go on you must chirrup-
like this''-
Johnny managed to make noise
something like his uncles and felt like
very large man when Jack moved
under him, and grandmother cried:
Hold on tight, Johnny" and some
one else cried:
Don't 90 too fast, Johnny" Uncle
Archie laughed at this. but Johnny did
not know why. ... ..g
The great meadow was smooth and
green and full of daisies and forget
me-nots. Jack spent his summer in it.
SO he felt quite at home, and would stop
sometimes to take a nip at them, with
out waiting for Johnny to say: whoa"
but he always went on again when
Johnny chirruped. At last he got into
corner long way from the house.
He went in among some trees and
bushes till he reached the fence, and
then stopped and shut his eyes.
Johnny was quite willing Jack should
rest awhile, but as he waited and waited
and seemed to have no desire to do any
thing but switch his tail johnny rot
tired and chirruped to him. Jack
moved little, but the fence was right
before him and he couldn't go through
that, so johnny said: whoa" and
Jack stopped at once and shut his eyes
again" ..tr....
Poor johnny began to wonder if he
should have to sit there all day. He
Ion "a, PA.
him back to the house, but how was he
to make Jack understand that? He
knew how to stop him and how to set
him going again, but Uncle Archie
hadn't said word about turning him
round. .s..iHi...su.s U."....l.
Johnny, you Sec. did not belong to
that blessed class of boys who tumbled
about the country all their happy, roll
licking young days, riding hay-loads,
buck boards, d stone boats spring
wagons, cts, learningto handle horse
almost as soon as they learn to talk and
walk. He had ridden in steam-cars and
street-cars and hacks, and he now tried
to remember something how they were
managed. He did not believe steam.
cars ever turned .round-7they always
seemed to go straight ahead He had
neverseen how the haGk-driyers got their
horses to turn, but he had seen street
cars turn on a turn-table when they
reached the end Of their route. Jack
certainly seemed to have reached the
end of his route, but Johnny eould not
see anything that. looked like a turn
table.
He called AZ loudly u.s. he could for
Uncle Archie, but no one heard him
Then Johnny cried as he wondered how
long he might sit there. and ii it was
nearly .dinner-time. a., ........
After q while he, heard some one COM
ing along the green, shady road on the
other side of the fence. II was a boy
and Il rope and something else. The
boy WAS at one end of the }ropeybut
johnny could not at first make up his
mind what it was at the other end. He
knew it was either calf or a sheep, for
Uncle Archie had shown him both that
morning, but he could notquite remem-
Der whirh was white and which was red.
He became SO much interested in
watching the boy as>to forget all about
turntables and dinner. 4, Sometimes the
boy would be ahead, leading or Jerking
the calf Tor Sheep along. And then all
at once the sheep Cor. calf would rush
forward and pull the boy along, !, AS
they came near johnny the boy hap
pened to be ahead, and he stopped at
sight OF Johnny's tear-stained face.
n Hnllo?'' said the boy ldHduti-ti
,gfsayn' said Johnny, pointing eager
| " at the animal, sis that calf or a
sheepP" The boy stared at Johnny
without answering.
"Oh, never mind" said Johnny,
VefV OOlitalv CT thouorht vou'd Enot,y