The morning call., 1893-07-16

ON he 6Eh
and pink-tinted baby leaves clasping the
mother stem with tenacious hold to the
dark green of the cimeter-s haped older
ones and those other flashing crimson
ones that dart out from amid the green in
the fierce beauty Of death. And then the
vitality Of the creature! Top it and it
leaves anew, in greater luXurlance ana
beauty; cut off every branch and it will
clothe itself in new mantle OF pungent
green and gray and rose color; smite
1t hip and thigh. leveling it to the ground.
and when you return week later the new
growth will greet you. smiling. why, L
have known eucalyptus fence-post to
sprout and put forth leaves.
The sun has arisen since Madame and
gallOped up the heights. and we have been
glad 10 move into the shade of the eucaiyp-
tus trees to escape its warmth. We have
had glorious ride, leaving the city behind
us ere yet it was awake, cantering along
then starting across country, where
Madame may stretch her legs over the turf
and grow wide awake over bit OF ditch
or make a great fuss in the taking of a
fence. Mad me is bit Of a hum bug in her
way. One would fancy, to see the airs and
graces with which she approaches couple
Of bars. or a tiny irrigation uitch, that she
thought she had the Sacramento to
clear, or ive-barred gate to go
Over-but she never rises an inch
higher than is absolutely necessary
to make the leap in the clear. We
scampering by tile Chinese vegetable gar
dens, with all the Celestial CANNES in pur
suit yawping out the venom OF their dogs
hearts, raising a cloud of dust as we
rushed over the yellow stubbe, stopping
to drink at a little creek, then "over the
hills and far away" until we have reached
this uttermost height, overlooking the
Golden GATE, and have stopped to resi- and
dream, l with my elbows resting on the
back of the saddle. Madame, having In
dulged in the unwonted luxury OF roll
(somewha disconcerted, L can SEE, at nav
ing f1opped over rather 90 suddenly on
this rising ground. standing kneedeep IN
the yellow wild oats, nipping off the tops,
like the sybarite she is, and leaving the
stems for less fastidiOus grazers.
"On every side there lies repose.
Do YOU feel the truth of that. Madame.
old girl. munching away there, among
the wild oats?
She leaves grazing. and comes at my
word, thrusting her soft. cream-color
caressing fashion she has. and nickering
almost inaudbly. There is nothing, not
even the face of a lovely woman, or OF
handsome man, more lovely than the head
IF well-bred horse. The human face has
the beauty Of the individual-the face of
the horse adds TO this the beauty OF the
race-type. He is more perfect
and, beyond that. he lives more
perfectly, accordn to his light, than
the human creature does. The ideal type
of equine beauty Is not difficult to meet
with. ont where do we find the type OF
human beauty? On. the shame OF con.
Tossing 1t! Madame is more beautiful tban
/, more beautiful than most men and
women. as she stands there. her ears
pricked forward and her eyes fixed upon
some moving object in the valley below.
Her broad, level forehead. with its white
star; her gentle. loving. alert eve. broad
cheek. and dainty 'teacup" muzzle, with
its curving nostrils, like the openings In
small. exquisite ear, make up counte-
nance and head that could not possibly be
mistaken for that of any other horse, vet
which has all these points i'll common with
eyery other well-bred. animal. l survey
her closely.
1t is a long time since l have looked
Madame over carefully. She is older than
when she and l joined fortunes, some
years ago. fer back shows signs of her
wears of saddle-bearing; the lines of her
head and neck have grown finer, but her
crest is still arched and her coat glossy;
the great muscles on her deep chest and
broad. raking shoulder are hard and sup
pile; her slender. fiat legs. with thin, broad
knees and pasteIns, are as sound as ever
and her trim feet are as sure in their foot
ing as any three-year-old's. l think l
should dee m some screw had loOsad in the
universe il Madame should ever by some
chance stumble or ''gO down."
Thus. Madame, physically. How is il. l
wonder as | watch her, with her spirit
ual state. Do you have yearnings after the
infinite, old girl? Are you pondering the
eternal verities as you stand there gazing
out through the Golden Gateo What do
you think of yonder white-winged ship
coming up the channel? What of the
'deac man laid out" over there on Tamal-
pals? What of the steam and electric cars
hurrying and wriggling along down there
on the level looking like maggots running
from this height, out doing with ease Work
that broke the hams and lamed the legs OF
your kind, Madame, my love. in years gone
by? What do you think ofme lying mere In
the shade with my head on the saddle watch
ing and specula:ing about you. who have
borne me many a mile and shared with me
more adventures and more pleasures than
I ever shared with any human creature.
Madame: YOU who never went back on
me" though times were hard and the world
seemed sadly out OF joint! l wonder if YOU
remena ber the day dragged myself ub by