The Press., 1891-11-19
cor. Holyoke Transcript.) THE OVERDRAWN CHECK.


 It was only few years ago that the married woman and all she possessed be- longed absolutely to her husband. If a woman worked and earned her gowns, they were not hers. She could not lay claim to one cent of the rewards of her labor. If she found her married life in- tolerable, and attempted to escape, her husband possessed the legal right to seize her and bring her back, as absolutely as a slave-holder exercised that right over the slave. That the husband was brutal or dissipated, did not alter the case. But women had tongues, and after time they learned to use them with such effect that to-day there is pertinency in inquiring if mon have not also few rights. In our midst there are thousands of faithful. plodding, intelligent creatures, weary of liatb and in many instances suffering from the infirmities of age, who do mans bid ding until even the lash fails to elicit a response. Would that many of our noble eauines might open their mouth, like Ba. 1aam's ass, and enquire "What have done unto thee ?"
 Language in the infant is lacking, yet the educated eye and ear, the tactus ernditus, discovers the malady. The lan- guage of the horse is not less plain, if you are not too brutal or too obtuse to read it..
 Civilization has refined all tortures. A man does not beat his wife to-day, al. though the English law still gives him that privilege, neither does he frequently brutally beat his horse, but unmolested he is allowed to inflict torture or discom. fort, just as the case may be, by the over: drawn check
 At first only a few fine dlawing horses were thus imposed upon, but now the use of this form of check is becoming so prev alent that soon it will be adopted by the little Mickey, who whales cadaverous specimens through the alleys.
 If there exists any doubt in your min6 as to the discomfort which check O. this kind occasions, watch the horses hitched daily on our streets. Did yor | ever watch 8 horse try to go down hil with one of these checks on? Even if nc humanitarian question were raised, it is { pity to make an animal naturally so grace ful as the horse, so awkward and un gainly.
 It is surprising to see women who ar so tender hearted that they faint at th' sight of blood, start out for days pleas ure with 8 horse checked so high that h, | is in constant discomfort
 recently asked a liveryman why h used the overdraw check. He replied lssI know they are brutal things, but m, patrons demand it.''
 1t first the plea was offered that the made high spirited horses more manage 1 able, but when we see some poor mise1 able specimens of flesh and blood tha look as though they never dreamed c getting out of walk without the incent i've of the lash, it is carrying that line c reasoning to the reduetlo ad absurdum. | If, in response to the impervious deere of fortune, women will wear French heels or number three shoe on a number si foot, or deform her body by compressin her waist, let the poor fools go, but whe men and women conspire together t carry out the decrees of fashion at tn expense of the comforts and native rigf of the horse, the thing is blot upon ou boasted 18th century civilization. Le us occasionally step down from our loft and critical attitude toward Russia, an discover few of the s'beams" that affet I American eyes.
 Where are the followers after the mee and lowly Jesus? It is to be feared tn, most of them are still discussing tt deluge or some other equally edifyir theme, and so absorbed do they becon in their own salvation and that of the brother that they lose sight of the ethic side of religion, and it becomes a matte of absolute indifference to them wheth' their animals or their brothers are abuse
 Men have not yet gotten enough of u essence of religion to make them trus worthy guardians of our speechle friends. Last winter poor horse owe come with abuse and unfeeding, lay f , three hours on the county bridge. Hu
 dreds of people were passing and repas ing, and yet no one ever telephoned
 the police station, and yet we are g
 Christians.
 A neighbor of good Christian m.
 was in the habit of using fence rail
 pound his horse with every morning u : til the poor creature cried out in his a
 ony. He did not interfere, or even repo [ the case to the humane society. But '
 are all Christians. Would it not be
 help to some of our degenerate brethr t if occasionally we married our theory al
 practice. "Queen Victoria has order
 that the bearing be ct once removed fro
 her horses. The queens fashion oug
 toa1prevail. Imagine how man wou
 feel with his head strapped back to |
 waist-band and his nose constantly poiI
 ed to the sky"
 Z NEW MILLINERY!
 JUST RECOGNIZED,