Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-06-03
sylomtll' q Column.
a Horse with Spectacles.

recess one Friday, "what do you
think we've got in our barn? You
never could guess
"Give us ten guesses?" asked one
of the boys.
eyes, a hundred if you like. |
know you would never think of it. !"
Then the guessing began, and a
great many queer things were thought
of, but none were right, and finally
they had to give it up.
sWell,' said Tom, laughing, ''of
course you couldn't guess it, because
you never heard of such thing. Its
a horse that wears spectacles.'
COP said all the boys who had
gathered around Tom, "that's mean
TO fool US that way. Didn't think
you were joking and they We're
turning away to their games again
when he called them back.
''But I am not joking. You know
our horse Prince?'
eyes," came from a dozen boys
at once. Didn't they know him !?
Hadn't they ridden behind him, fill
ing Mr.. Phelps wagon running over
full if ever he CHANGED to drive along
just as school was let out, hundred
times? And hadn't they ridden on his
back in the pasture three or four in a
heap, and petted him and given him
apples or sugar whenever they saw
him? Every boy in Manlins knew
Prince, and to know Prince was to
love him, for more intelligent, kind
and gentle horse never lived.
"What about Prince said several
in a breath.
"Why, papa thought he was get
ting blind. He had always acted as
if he couldn't see just right, and so
the other day papa took him to a
what do you call it?' said Tom,
trying to think of the big word he
wanted.
"Was it an oculist ?" said voice.
eyes sir,'' answered Tom for it was
the teacher, Mr.. Bragdon, who spoke.
He had joined the group, and was
listening with interest to the news
about Prince.
''The man looked at Princes eyes
just the way he would at anybody's,
and found he was near-sighted, the
way some people are. Then he wrote
out something to tell how to make
spectacles for Prince. Papa had
them made and put on bride, and
Prince wore them yesterday"
GLOW did he act, Tom, the first
time the spectales were put on?"
asked Mr.. Bragdon.
''He acted at first as if he was sort
of frightened, but it didn't take him
long to get used to them, and now we
think he likes them
"Well, that is wonderful !" said
Mr.. Bragdon, as he turned to go in
to the school-room and before recess
was over half the boys in the school
had agreed to go to Toms the next
morning to see how Prince looked in
his spectacles. Mr.. Bragdon was in
vited too, for the boys all liked him,
and thought they always had a better
time when he was along.
Bright and early on Saturday
morning a troop of jolly boys called
for the s'teacher," and were tramping
gayly up the carriage-road to the
| Phelps farmhouse, when who should
they see but Tom and his father in the
big wagon driving Prince right tow
ard them.
How funny Prince looked with his
great goggles, and how the boys
laughed 1t seemed as if Prince tried
to laugh too, for he shook his name
and opened his mouth in such a fun
ny way.
Gle looks like Professor" said
one.
s'Or an OWL" said another.
"Don't he look awful wise?" said
a third.
"Why shouldn't he? He knows
more'n any of u.s. retorted one of
Princes most ardent admirers; and
so the talk went on until Mr.. Phelps
ordered the visitors to ''pile i'm and
go for a ride. They needed no urg-
ing, and their gay laughter, as they
went through the quiet town, brought
more than one staid body to the win
dow to ''see what on airth the racket
was No doubt more than one
turned away with sigh to say, "It's
only Deacon Phelps and that passed.
o'boys he's so fond of cartin'round
with him - for there are some people
who never can endure noisy boys, and
there are some of this in Manlius who
say Deacon Phelps ''might be in bet
ter business But he only laughs
in his quiet way, and keeps the same
big warm place in his heart for "the
boys"
When the ride was over Mr.. Phelps
said: "Now, I'm going to turn
Prince out to pasture. Yesterday he
acted kind of queer and sorrowful
when took the bride off. | wish
you would watch him to-day, Mr..
Bragdon, and see what you think is
| the NATTER
So they all waited and watched