The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-12
oosHuN's HORSE.

GOSHUNS HORSE.
 How fond in memory is the old family horse. The children love him and even the old grandmother ~ho sits on the back porch in the summer and knits socks, has an affection for him. The Coshun family wanted a horse. The Coshuns had been reared in the city and when they moved to the country, the de sire for gentle, carry-all family horse, such as they had seen pictured and read about in improbable books, came upon them with such strength of longing that old man Goshun advertised for a horse. At last, after answering many letters and visiting many places, Coshun secured the very horse for which his family had hankered with such hungry want. The animal was old and flea bitten. Theplow gear had shaved his sides, and large knots stood out from his shoulders. His tail was thin and hung with a foriorn droop. One eye had an unaccouatable tendency to turn skyward, and the other modestly looked down.
 Gentle, suppose" said Goshun te the religious-looking man who offered the animal for sale.
 Gentle as dog" the man replied. /" He has been our family horse for years, and l wouldn't part from him if my wife hadn't died. She thought so much of him, and they were such inseparable companions, that to see him here now brings up such sad thoughts of my great loss that am compelled to let the dear old creature go. If you take him, prom ise me that you will always treat him well, that you will never sell him to any one who would be likely to treat him cruelly."
 Goshun was moved. Practical in his nature, he had always supposed that much of the dear old horse business sprang from the over-wrought sentiment of book-makers, but the evidence of such affection convinced him that simple liter ature contained much truth. He bought the horse, at heathenously high price, and with that air of satisfaction which comes to man when he feels that he has made great bargain, he conducted the old horse home.
 Dear old fellow," said Mrs. Goshun, " how we do love our old friend" senti- mentally placing hand on his bony hip.
 Yes we do love our old horsey," de clared Miss Goshun, tangling a hand in the old rapscallion's" mane. Little Phil Goshun, John. a few years older, Mary and Kate, all gathered around the horse, while Goshun, delighted at his own poetic emotions, smiled on his de- voted family.
 The old horse shook himself with a snort, and the skyward eye turned earth ward, and the earthly eye turned sky ward.
 Let me get on his back" said Goshun, " and I'll take all of you up behind me-" and by means of chair and great diff culty, he climbed up and divided himself "acrost" the rail-like back of the dear old horse. The dear old bone-yard threw up his head and turned around with sud- den movement, cutting Miss Goshun across the mouth with his tail
 Whoa" shouted Goshun.
 The dear old family relic started across the yard like hobbling ,resile. Goshun grabbed him around the neck, and Mrs Goshun ran around and began to ''shew' him with her apron. This frightened him and he started of at an agonizing trot.
 Whoa" yelled Goshun.
 He ran under tree and limb caught Goshun under the chin and came in one of cutting his throat from ear to ear. Mrs. Goshun ran around and showed" him again with her apron. This was positively more than the horse could en- dure. and he leaped the low fence and made break for the orchard.
 '' Whoa, you blamed fool" howled ! Goshun.
 The old horse went at a sweeping gate, and when Goshun saw the plum thicket | ust in front of him he shut his eyes and ! said, '' Oh, Lord"
 Of all places in the world, plum hicket is the worst. Its jagged limbs and horns are more formidable than the picketed approaches to fort. The fam ly followed the horse. They heard a yell just as he went into the thicket, and when they reached the place. hey saw moving mass of shredded clothes coming out. It was Goshun.
 The old horse stood over on the hill, me eve ioot,np skvwzrri and inc oshsr