Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-07-27

summer to-day. 1ue leaves, HylnS Ill
ecstacy, filed the murky air. The walk
was full of the wet, sodden mass. The
trees swung their skeleton limbs in
demoniac glee, and the wind howled
like lost spirit in chains. What an
uncanny morning it was. The hills
grew gigantic in the cerements of
mist, and the houses seemed to have
sobbed themselves into a hopeless grief.
John Hayes was saying to himself that
he had mistaken his calling, and he
would quit it. 1t was simply the re-
action from high nervous excitement.
He needed counter irritant to restore
the balance. He was going to Deacon
Frink's, two miles out of the village.
He liked to see the deacon Monday
morning. He would lend hand at his
work often, and the deacon's sharp.
curt remarks toned him up and set him
on his feet again. The good man was a
quaint, humorous body, not as reveren-
tial as the cut and dried church elder,
but sound to thee and true as steel.
When the parson got in sight of the
house, he saw the deacon running
toward the barn, his hat off and in his
shirt sleeves. He fastened his steps
and then instinctively began to run. The
old man was puttingiu the mare, and she
seemed to be having one Of her evil fits;
"Deacon Josia, what is the natter"
"Mattie has fallen from one of the
high beams, her head is cut open, and
she don't "-here the good man
choked with emotion. s'This critter has
got one of the balks, ought to have her
| neck wrung." -
| Matte had been hunting eggs that
morning, the first time she had got back
| from the seminary. 1t had been her
| work when little girl land she was fa-
NOUS for walking the high beams. She
| had forgotten this morning she had been
a stout girl, She had probably become
dizzy, and had fallen from the upper
| timber. There no signs of life, and she
was bleeding profusey. John Hayes
| forgot his "blues" There We're two
miles between him and life. The dea
| cons mare, balky as she was, must re-
| deem herself to-day. lie took her by
the head, put his hand on her nose. He
| had an electric touch. He looked her
| in the eye. Nancy, You must do your
duty to-day. Your mistress is DYING
| and he clenched his teeth. He sprane
| into the wagon. The horse had relaxed
| his position at. his first word. and as he
| touched the relnS she sprang IN the air.
How the blackboard ratified as she came
| down and sped away. The deacon for
| got his grief even as he looked. The
| road for mile was visible from the yard.
The racer strain OF, blood ruled that morn
ing. The parsOn braced his feetand hung
to the ribbons until they cut into his
hands He had been the strongest OF
men in his class in college, but they
| ached as if they would fall from then
| sockets. Deacon Frink's mare never
| Stacked; she took the middle of the road
and she kept it, although two teams
barely escaped as she flew by. The foam
| was on her nostrils and her eyes opened
| What glorious old sinner she was
thought the dominic. He loved horse
and terrible as was the possibility with
that bleeding form behind him, he adj.
mired the splendid beast. She was re,
trieving her reputation. The veins stood
out on her beautiful neck, but her wind
was still good and the village was near
Short as the time had been, it seemed
like an age Every heartbeat to the
young man was like knell. His bleed
ing hands he knew nothing about. As
he reached the doctors door he looked
at his watch. He had been nine min
utes and a half in doing
the two miles. Well done, Nancy
'What is the matter with your hands
Mr.. Hayes" asked the doctor, us he
rushed to the door: Nothing, nothing,
Miss Matte is dying. She has fallen
Come And he turned again and Dea
con Frink's mare struck her old tro
without long breath. "Great Cesar,
said the doctor as he bundled his cas-,
into his gig and struck after him; "wha
has got into Deacon Frink's mare? lIa
the parson got the devil himself behint
it," The doctor had a famous horse, bu
he said afterward, "that body might a
well follow chain lightning as to keep III
with that balky mare when the minister
drove her"
The doctor found his patient will
scarcely any pulse; just fiutter abou
the heart which would have stopped il
five minutes more, he said sravely, whel
the tide of life came back and he haC
given hope for recovery, and they 90
Matte in bed. After he had done al
he could for her the prosaic old physi
clan went out to his stable and petted tn
mare and rubbed her face while sh
winned and pushed him about with he
cold nose. The old doctors eyes wer
actually red when he came out of tn,
barn.
Thanks to the blessed mare, Matte
Frink recovered, but it was coming iron
|; the grave, the horse never baked agair
The story of that ride spread like will
fire, and the deacon was offered thou
sand dollars for her, but he said, "h
had given her to his daughter, and
required parson to drive her"
! One June day when the eartfr-wa
fresh in new apparel, and the blue DOM
hung above an enchanted world. Johr
Hayes and Matte Frink took the mar
with her new harness and carriage an,
rode over to a neighboring town. TIL
old gray-haired clergyman pronounced
them one, but long before that, in tin
shadow of death they were welded il
heart.
, "Bleakmere Maize"