The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-30


the face, but at distance which
showed great GOODNESS of feeling.
! What right had it-a one-eyed thing
to go snorting contemptuously along
regardless of everybody? Why he
would travel half a mile around-if
necesSary-rather than even frighten
children at play!
| speak of Ponce's well-known good
ness of heart that you may understand
| how it was that he was SO implicitly
trusted to carry precious and perisha-
BILE family treasure to and from Mrs,
| Birds.
The saddle went on, John followed.
and a pleasant trot along a level coun.
try road soon ended at a farm-yard
| gate. John stated his errand, and,
after some alarmed cachling died
away, he found himself in the posses
sion of four fat pullets, half dead with
| fright. A happy thought occurred to
him. He would make a balance of his
load by tying a pair of chickens to
each side of the bride rein. This he
did, to his own satisfaction, and to the
intense admiration of Tommy Bird-a
bit of color perched on the fence like
| Cock Robin come to life again-and
then, with gay flourish of horseman-
| ship, he turned homeward. Ponce
picked up his ears and trotted down
the lane at Il brisk pace. BY the time
he had reached the main road his gait
was lively-very lively, indeed!-but
horse going home to good meal of oats
was known to travel well. SO John
wasn't surprised. Ponce, however,
was COMPOUNDED. He was accustomed
to the Tapping against his TANKS
of saddle-bags weighted with cleanli-
ness on one hand, and godlinesS on the
other-that is to say, with fresh linen
and religious literature-but what
could be the meaning Of these dread
full neckbagsP He stopped, shook his
head, and paved the ground. These
proceedings did not help matters-as
he evidently hoped they might-for
down the bridle-rein began to slide
the terminated and hapless pullets.
What were these monstrous things fly
ing across his vision and cackling I'M
| der his very nostrils? He tried to
jump sevenrailed fence, while John
chung to saddle and name like barna-
Gle to the hull Of a ship; he pulled like
a leviathan-if anyone knows what
| that is like; and then he dashed mad
ly down the country road. There were
no travellers on the highway, which
was a fortunate circumstance, as Ponce
in his temporary insanity would have
been quite as regardless of human life
as the most despicable of steam
engines. Not soul was in sight to
watch the mad ride. Indian corn
stared tall and green from both sides of
the fence, and sparrows looked out from
| the hedges-these were the only living
| things to see the weight carrying
race of my dear little John Gilpin. Off
flew his hat, but no matter-he had a
better one at home. On went his
steed, the affrighted missionary.
There was wild satisfaction in going
so fast-it was like flying, and he had
always wished to fly. Mr.. Wales farm
was passed. And could that vision of
white and green be Mr.. Strons-so
soon? Really, this was going as fast
as he cared to goa pleasure from
which he had hitherto been debarred
by his parents and the parish He felt
very much exilarated and somewhat
startled. | think if he had known
that, in addition to the linear flight
Ponce was treating him to, the earth
was Whirling him around it's axis, and
sweeping him around the sun, and
carrying him around some wonderful
center, the compound multiplication
of motion would have seriously
alarmed him; but as he knew nothing
| of the wheels within wheels, and
the sturdy spirit of the west was
in his veins he was not dis
mayed. That red blur must be Mrs.
Perkins barn "Only half a mile,
| Ponce! So. s-o!' he said, soothing
| ~. But Ponce would listen to no ca
| jolement, even though a friendly lit
| tie voice poured it directly into his
| ear. What. with those unheard-of
tAings Tapping into his very face? He
! gave an indignant heave, and John,
realizing that his ride was over, loos-
! ened his feet from the stirrups and
| slipped deity oT-with the saddle.
| Onward plunged Ponce, and, in a few
minutes the exhausted animal halted
at the parsonage gate to beg, with al
most human cries, for deliverence
from the unaccountablc burden swing
ing under his dilated nostrils. As
may be supposed, the arrival of the
riderless and frcnzied horse plunged
the parsonage and it's neighbors into
an agony Of fright; but John was soon
met trudging buoyantly homeward,
and then came tears and laughter,
Gliding and thanksgiving. What an
excitement for everything and every
body-pullets, Ponce, parsonage and
| parish-all because of an innocent ex-
! pertinent in physics!
To this history one item alone re-
mains to be added. In the years that
have followed hard upon the sunny
morning of this story, my hero has
/ taken many merry gallop, but he has
never repeated the ride of John Gilpin,
| Jr-InteriOr.
! Pat Proverbs,