The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-09-08
M. SEGUIN'S GOAT.

coru anu go OH 10 tne mountain and up
there the wolf would eat them. Neither
he caresses of their master nor the fear
OF the wolf would hold them back. They
were, you see. independent goats, loving
above everything freedom and liberty.
The good NJ. Seguin, who did not at oil
understand the character of these ami
mails, was alarmed. He said, "This is the
end; the goats get weary of me and shall
never be able to keep one"
Nevertheless he was not discouraged,
and after having lost six goats in the same
way he bought the seventh; only this time
he took good care to find very young one,
so that she would more easily get used to
living with him.
Oh, GrinRoife but she was beautyi this
young goat of NJ. Seguin. How pretty she
was with her soft eyes, her tiny beard like
that of young officer, her shining, black
feet and her horns like those Of zebu, and
her fluffy white fur that covered her like
an oyercoat! She was almost as pretty as
that little goat of Esmeralda, do you re-
member, Gringoires And then, too, she
was 50 gentle and affectionate, letting any
one milk her without kicking or putting
her foot in tho milk pail She was a per
feet love OF a little COST.
| NJ. Segu!n had back of his house field
inclosed by hawthorn hedge. 1t was here
that he put his new boarder. He fastened
her to stake in the best part of the field,
taking care to give Ler plenty of cord, and
from time to time he went out to see If she
was all right. The goat was very happy
land browsed about so contentedly that NJ
iSeguin was delighted. At last, thought
the poor man, here Is one that will not get
tired OF staying with me-
! NJ. Se2uin deceived himself. The goat
was tired of her life there. One day she
said to herself as she looked toward the
mountain;
| How nice 1t must be up therel What
pleasure to frisk among the bushes with
out this tiresome cord always pulling at
NY neckl 1t is well enough for donkey
or II COW to stay in an Enclosure, but goats
need freedom"
| From this moment the feed in the field
seemed fiat to her WEAKNESS came to
her. She grew thin and gave very little
milk. 1t Was pitiful to see her drawing
md pulling on her cord all day long, her
head turned toward the mountain, her hos-
trils open and crying, "Meh" so sadly.
| NJ. Segrin saw plainly that something
was the matter with his goat, but he did
not know what il was. One morning,
after he had MIXED her, the goat turned
toward him and said to him in her patois:
Listen, M. Seguin. am tired of stay
ing with you here. Let me go to the
mountain
"ohl oh dearl She tool" cried NJ. Sc
gum, stupefed, and dropping the milk
pail as he rose; then seating himself on
tue grass at the sido of the goat, he con
tinued.
You wish to leave me, Blanquettes d
Yes, M. Seguin."
/ Te "a i
1ere"
! "Oh, mol NJ. Seguin."
You perhaps have not enough cord. Do
you wish me 10 lengthen it,"
1T isn't worth the trouble, M. Seguin.n
'Then what Is the matterf What do
you wantfn
II want to go to the mountain. NJ Se-5
guin.n
but, unhappy creature, do you not
know that there Is a wolf on the mbun-
tain' What will you do when he comes
after your"
81 will butt him, M. Seguin."
1.-THE wolf will laugh at your horns He
has eaten other goats with stronger horns
than yours. You remember don't you,
Renande, who WAS here last year, big
goat, as strong and ugly as buekg She
fought all night with wolf and in the
morning he ate her up"
'Pecairei Poor Rensndel But that does
not signify, M. Seguin, let me go to the
| mountain"
| "Divina Goodnesst' said NJ Segnin;
what has come upon all of my Roatsg
| Here is another that the wolves will get.
But moi will save you, unhappy bne,
despite yourself, and for fear that you will
break your cord will shut yop up in the
stable, and there you shall stay all the
| timer
And thereupon NJ. Segnin put the goat
into dark stable and looked the d Dor.
bnhappily he forgot the window and
ecarcely had he turned his back when the
little one got away.
When the white goat reached the noun.
tain there was n general delight. Never
had the old pines seen anything so pretty
Irhey received her like little queen. The
chestnut trees lowered their branches to
the earth to earess her. The golden broom
opened passageway for her and tn rev
out its best perfume, The entire mountain
gave her a warm reception.
Just think, Gringoire, of the happiness
of our little goat. No more cord, no more
stake, nothing to prevent her browsing
and gamboling to her hearts cont mt
Now she had found enough grass as high
as her horns, my friend. And such grass
sayory, fine, toothsome, and made oil
thousand plants. 1t was very different
from the turf in the field. And then the
flowers. Great blnebells, purple digitalis
with the long calyx, whole forest of wild
flowers bending their sweet heads.
The white goat, half intoxicated, wal
lowed there with her legs In the air, and
rolled the length of slope pellmell with
the leaves and the chestnuts. Then at
ince with one bound she stood on her feet.
Hopi there she was off, her head forward,
crossing the bushes, now on peak, now at
che end OF rayine, up high, down low,
everywhere. One would huve said that
there were ten goats of NJ Seguin on the
mountain.
You see NJ. Seguin's Blanquctte was not
afraid of anything.
She cleared with one bound some great
torrents, which splashed her in tho or pss-
ing with spray and foam. Then all drip
Iping she went to a large, smooth rock end,
stretching herself out upon it, dried her
self In the sunshine. Once, in advancing
toward the edge of plateau, with Wild
flower between her teeth, she saw down
below her, way down on the plain the house
of N. Segnin, with the little field bach of
it. This made her laugh till she cried
"Oh how small ~ she said; "how W rs |
able to stay there ~
Poor little thing. Seeing herself perched
so high she thought she was at least as
great as the world.
Take it all in all, it was great day for
NJ. Seguin's goat. Toward noontime, in
running about in different directions, she
fell in with troop of channels beginning
with good appetites to devour wild vine.
Our little gadabout in white made a
grant Ia. h.. iaek