The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-09-29

| brought a handkerchief and made
great ado about wanting to have some
thing done with it, which proved to be
tying it around his leg. Meanwhile one
of the horses behaved badly, whereupon
the teacher said Il see you are booked
for whipping" and the culprit came
out on the floor, Strengthened himself,
and received without wincng what
seemed to be severe whipping; but in
reality 1t was all done with soft cotton
snapper which made more sound than
anything else. q ~
Mustang was called upon to ring the
bell, good-sized dinner-bell, for the
blackboard exercises by Sprite. He.
too, made believe he couldn't seized it
the wrong way, dropped it, picked it up
wrong end first, was scolded at, then
took it by the handle, gave it a vigor-
Gus shake, and after letting it fall sew
eral times, set it on the table. Mean
while platform was brought in sup
porting tall post, at the top of which,
higher than horse could reach, was a
blackboard having chalked on it sum
which was not added up correctly
Sprite, being requested to wipe it out,
took the sponge from the table,
and planting her fore-feet on the plat
form, stretched her head up, and by
desperate passes succeeded in wiping
out 2 part of the figures, and started to
leave, but seeing that some remained,
went back and erased them.
One day she went through process
which showed conclusively that horses
can reason. She dropped the sponge
the1frst thing, and it fell down behind
| fha al Nf h.,. g;,
down, and looked about in the saw
dust for it, the audience curiously
watching to see what she would do next
She was evidently much perplexed
She knew perfectly well that her duty
would not be fulfilled until she had
rubbed the figures out, and the sponge
was not to be found. Mr.. Bartholomew
said nothing, gave her no look or hint
or sign to help her out of her predica-
ment, but sat in his chair and waited.
AT last, she deliberately stepped on the
platform again, stretched her head up
and deliberately wiped the figures out
with her mouth, at which the audience
applauded as if they would bring the
roof down. That was something clearly
not in the programme, but bit of in
dependent reasoning. Yet, having
done so much, she knew that something
was not right. About that
sponge-what had become of itp 1t
was her business to lay it on the table
when she was through using it. She
hesitated, looked this way and that,
started to go, came back, dreadfully
puzzled and uncertain, suddenly spied
it, set her teeth in it, put it on the
table, and went to her place, with a
clear conscience, no doubt, and the
people cheered more wildly than before.
This was to me one of the most inter-
esting things l witnessed; and connect
ing it with some facts Mr.. Bartholomew
communicated, it was doubly so.
He said that it was his practice not to
interfere or help; the horse knew just
what she was to do. and he preferred to
wait and let her'think it out for herself.
The other horses all knew, too, if there
was any failure or mistake, and the
offender was closely watched by them,
and in some way reproved by them il
they could get the opportunity, and al
times this little by-play became very
amusing. -. i..dp
After this was most exquisite dancing
by Bucephalus and by Caesar, whose
StcpplHSS WeIe III peIlect III ybhin W tne
music. Then the latter turned in q
circle to the right or the left and
walked around defining the figure eight,
just as any one in the audience chose tc
request; and Abdallah came in with q
string of bells around her, and paced
cantered, galloped, trotted, marched
or walked as the word was given. The
horses were generally expected to come
to the footlights and bow to the audi
ence at the close of any feat; occasion,
} ally one would forget to do this, and
then some of his comrades would
shoulder or buffet him, or Mr.. Bartbolo
new would give reminder: THAT i:
not ali, is itp" and back would come
the delinquent and bow and bow twenty
times as fast as he could, as If there
could not be enough of it. At the close
| of one scene all the horses came up tC
the front in line, and leaning over the
rope which was stretched there to. keel
them from coming down on the people
heads, would bow. and bow again, anC
it was wonderfully pretty sight to see
- amanda b, Harris, in Vide Alcdke,