The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-10-27
A MOURNER'S HORSE.

come OF IT. The Achuolinaster is town bred
"a thin, clean shaven man, whose black
habit and tall hat, though considerably
bronzed, refused TO harmonize with the
scenery amid which they move. His speech
is formal and slightly dogmatic. On the
subject OF free education he talked with
angry postiyeness, as one acquainted with
the facts His cold eyes sparkled behind
his spectacles, and, tucking his umbrella
tightly under his armpit, he tieked of his
arguments, tapping his right forefnger on
the palm Of his left hand,
Thus occupied, we were passing the wall
OF farmhouse on the edge Of the downs
when an ugly sheepdog, a grizzled, tail
less brute, came leaping over it and few at
our legs
! had wheeled around and my ash sap
ling was lifted for blow when the school
master arrested me with peal OF horrible,
discordant laughter He was crouching,
with hand on either thigh and his spec
tacles almost on level with the dogs
jaws His hat had shifted to the back OF
his head, and the look of derision on his
face was something devilish At intervals
Of about three seconds he flung yell OF
unnatural mirtn straight in the dogs face
Down went the brute's tail and he skunk
around and back over the wall, rubbing
his belly on the coping in his abiect dis
comhture.
The schoomaster Strengthened himself
and resumed his somber responsibility at
once. ! stared back on the empty road
without speaking The mans ilnpish out
burst, to tell the truth. had startled me
not little, saw its success, OF course.
but somehow it had been too well done,
and wondered II be would take up his
argument again
Instead he chuckled dryly after a mo
ment and began:
'eThar's better weapon than gun"
"Ridcule"
He nodded
You used 1t uneommonly we'll" said l.
"0h, it's easy The test Of any creature
man or dog lis, Can be parry it' lneyer
met one that c6uld You zee, every living
being has some secret shame; man on dog,
we all pretend to be what we are not. Ii
is all very well to say like to the crack
ling Of thorns under pot. but the point
b that we're all In the pot aud liable to be
cooked +"
He walked on dozen steps and resumed
In tone altogether lighter:
I'm tell you tale on this point that
may amuse you at my expense. am Lon.
don bred, as you know-a cockney in the
grain TO this day, though when | came
down here to teach school was barely
twenty and now Pm flfty-six. Twas dur.
ing the summer holidays that first set
foot in the neighborhood, week before
school opened again came early to look
for lodgings and find out little about the
people aud settle down bit before be
ginning work,
'The vicar--the late eyicar-cpmmended
me to the farmhouse we had just passed.
II was occupied in those days by an old
farmer called RetaIlack, widower and
ehildless His sister, Miss Jane Ann, kept
house for him. and these were the only
two souls on the premises till came and
was boarded by them for thirteen shillings
week. For that price they let me have
bedroom, a fair sized sitting room and as
much as could cat.
"A mouth after arrived Farmer Retail.
lack was put to bed with bad attack Of
eolic. This was on a Wednesday. and on
Saturday morning Miss Jane Ann came to
my door with Il message that the old man
would like to see me. So went to his
room and found him propped up In the bed
with pillows and looking very yellow in
the gills, though clearly convaleseent.
" 'Schoolmaster, said he, I've summat
Of favor to beg o ye. You give the chill.
dren half holiday, saturdays-heyS
Well, dye think ye could drive the brown
hoss into Tergarrick this afternoon Fact
is, my old friend, Abe Walters, that kept
The Packhorse. is lyin dead, an they bury
en- at half after today I'd be main glad
TO attend the feast an tell Missus Walters
how much deceased III be missed, but
might 50 well try tohy Now II you could
attend an just pass the word that I'm laid
on my back with collie, but that you've
come to show respect | my place-there'll
be lashins o yittles an drink; no Wal.
ters was ever Inferred under kilderkin,
exceptin their second child that died in
teethin-- an he took niue gallon cask, be
sides port an sherry wine to an uncertain
amount. | had that from the mother
Now the fact was, had never driven d
horse in my life and hardly knew, as they
say, horses head from his tail till he be-
gan to move, But this is just the sort Of
ignorance no young man will confess TO-
So ] answered that was engaged that
evening. We were just organizing night
classes for the young men Of the parish
and the vicar was to open the first, with q
short address, at half past &,
"'Ypu'Il be back In loads o time, the
farmh assured me-
To tell you the truth, said |, I'm not
accustomed to drive much,
''He declared that 1t was impossible te
come to grief on the way the brown horse
being quiet as q lamb and knowing every
stone Of the road by heart And the end
was that ! consented. The brown horse
was harnessed by the farm boy and led
around with the gig while Miss Jane Ann
and ] were finishing our midday meal
And ! drove off alone In black suit and
with nv heart in nv month