Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-31
HER FIRST
A Young Lady's Experience In Learning
to Ride Horseback.

A Young Lady's Experience In Learning
to Ride Horseback.
The beautiful spring weather is here
The country lanes, bright with the
young green of trees and bushes, and
fragrant with wild flowers, are perhaps
at their loveliest. The young lady who
means to learn to ride on horseback
naturally thinks that now her oppor'
tunity has come. Her riding-habit is
ready for her. 1t has been made a week,
and already she has tired it on five
tines. She has admired its snugly
fit ng basque before the glass; she has
practiced gathering the flowing folds
| of the skirt gracefully over her arm;
she has adjusted and readjusted the
dainty little cap, and has even been
guilty of sitting side-saddle on a chair
and swapping her whip, just to see how
it will feel.
When, therefore, it is announced that
the horse is at the door, and the hour
has arrived for her first lesson, she is
able to descend the front steps tri-
umphantly. with her skirt held in the
proper manner, her costume complete,
even to the yellow ribbon by which her
whip is slung from her wrist, and a gay
SIN .le upon her face.
1t is true that she experiences q cor
tain sensation of inward sinking, and
that the horse. as she looks at him,
seems a taller animal than she had be-
LEVIED q horse could be; but she does
not mention these drawbacks to the
family.
Nor, when her escort assists her to
mount, does she give expression to the
awful certainty She feels that, instead
of landing in the saddle, she is going
to fall OF on the other side. A little
gasp. which she turns into a laugh, is
the only Indication OF her terror.
They are, off! Her mother calls after
her to- be Gerry careful; her little brother
sits on the hltching-post and cheers;
her younger sisters stand in a row on
the curbstone, and shout a shrill chorus
OF good-byes. Her horse is only walk
ing, but as she feels his great body
heave beneath her, and realizes her
lofty position and helplessly cramped
attitude, it seems as if she could not
bear it; she must get off.
Whoa" and She jerks the reinS
The horse stops.
Whats the matter?" asks her es-
cort.
Can she confess that she is too fright
ened to go on? Impossible! How she
would be laughed at!
'NOh, nothing" she says, tremulous-
ly, resign;ng herself to her fate. 81
thot5ht there was something wrong
with the harness, but l guess there
isn't. Get up! Cl'k!"
The horse obeys. He trots. She
holds her breath and clings to the POM
mel of the saddle for a moment OF an
guish, and then his pace subsidies again
to a walk. The next time it is in
creased he %canters, and this she finds
more e%ndurable. Gradually, indeed.
as they get out into the country, her
fear abates so far that she is able to
give coherent answers to her compan-
ions remarks upon the scenery. and
when, an hour later, they reach home
again, the relief of getting down is so
great that she is even prompted to
thank him efusively for the pleasure
she has enjoyed.
TO the family, when they ask he,
how she likes riding. she says it is per.
fectly lovely-that is, it will be as soon
as she gets a little used to it.-Youth'
Companion.