St. Landry democrat., 1884-11-01

DTOuSuI CFSIy 0nC w eAiS "AA0OHSS eliza
people in the streets looked disapprov-
ingly after us, as though we had adopted
such speed from choice and not from
.'How shall we know the house," /
asked, after we had dashed through a
series of well-settled streets.
s'Look out for my hatr' my husband
answered, irrelevantly, and / caught it
Just before it fell under the wheel.
A larger group of people than any
we had ever seen was standing before
what looked like a hotel All eyes
were turned in our direction IS we
emerged from the cloud of dust far
down the road. The horse was going
faster than his fastest up to that time,
and we.seemed in a fair way to be out
of the sound of the merriment our ap-
pearance caused, when again the horse
astonished us by turning into the hotel
yard, and stopping stock-still, his nose
sunk in the stone watering-trough.
Evidently that horse had made it 3 rule
of his life never to pass by q chance to
get drink. His eyes were kecner than
ours, and both our breathing spaces
would have been lost had it depended
on Us TO spy out the drinking fountains.
1t was wonderful, too, what power wa
ter-drinking gave that beast! The Sec
Ond stop was not so delicious as the
stop where the alder-bushes were our
only observers. To make ones toilette
and dust ones husbands face and
clothes within the sight of dozen
loungers was not pleasant. Had they
been content to watch us silently it
would have been bad enough, but they
evidently were much amused by our
sudden appearance, and made audible
Jokes at our expense. One old man
looked u p from his whiting to remark
that we had been in considerable of a
hurry, and to ask if we had not all the
time there was going.
"Ain't / seen that boss on the track
somewheres?" a horse jockey asked,
eying our steaming beast approvingly.
81 am happy to say do not own this
animal. l am driving him for the first
time,'' my husband answered, with a
show of dignity.
Then arose in the crowd lively dis
cussion as to whether some popularity
in the horse was or was not quarter
crack, and my husband was appealed to
by one side and the other. He had
never owned a cent in any horse, and
knew absolutely nothing of horse lore.
He told them this, and then, with much
dignity, inquired the shortest way to
the parsonage.
Ella! | thought as much. There,
can't tell 'em fur as l can see?" The
speaker looked very knowing, and q
general litter followed his remark.
"0f course every one could tell with
half an eye he wanted the parson, espe-
cially as he's just owned up SO honest
like. Come, some one, for mercy S
sake, tell the young teller how he car
git there" The whiting old man tried
to quiet the loud bilarity.
young Teller, indeed That was or
account of the vulgar-looking vehicle
Mr.. johnson had let to his amiable min
lister. NY husband had to ask again
with greater dignity, the direction o.
/ Mr.. Mayberry's, house before any one
would answer.
Our animal resemble9 tho so-calleC
/ steam horse in two ways-he could no
attain any rate of speed without water
ing up, and once his steam was up there
was no stopping him. At least cler
gyman could have as easily brought :
] locomotive to standstill as the horse
Deacon. AS we whirled away from thu
hotel steps every one shouted aftel
us, exciting the horse TO yet greatei
speed: Couple OF runaWays:p !" NJ
cake, no cards!'' ''Going to git hitchet
BY the parsUn!" Wen all come-nt
cere1nony!" A small boy on gat
took up the cries, and proclaimed us a
the ''runaways trying to git mar
ried, and as such we were observed a!
we dashed through the elnl-shadet
street.
/ was indignant. Charles Mason
what a ridiculous situation! They thin
YOU are running away with me. y
.sShould think they might see at
glance the horse is the guilty one,
Cherries found breath TO answer.
THAT Mr.. johnson ought to b
ashamed of himself. II he only wen
to church you ought to preach to hir
about the sin he has committed in send
ing such 9 horse
..They're a coming! Hi! there the
go:' cried small boy, waving his ha
from the road side.
.tCharles, dear Charles, that's tn
house, where all those women are goin
in the door. Stop here, oh, do stop, 70
nv hair" know he tried to compl
with my entreaty, but the horse saw n
cooling spring in sight, and kept up hi
speed round a short corner, our carriag
touching but two wheels, on q long
shady lane; and when Lsaw destruetiol
ahead Of us in the shape of a large sta
BILE wall, the horse came to stoI
j. Charles jumped out and seized the an
mails head. ''You run and see if me-
at home. y