The Van Buren press., 1894-11-03

BEAUTY.
She Was Johnny's Colt But His
Fathers Horse.

There was no mistake about It; old
Kit was dying. Her fast-glazinR eyes
looked with almost human solicitude
1t the little, staggering, day-old colt
whose velvet muzsle pressed her own,
and her last breath was spent in .
whinny to soothe its fears The sight
was moro than Johnny Campbell could
bear; he hid his face in the sleeve Of
his jean jacket and sobbed.
i, Mrs. Campbell knelt beside the dy-
ing marc and soothingly smoothed her
glossy neck and beautiful head while
the tcars streamed down hef own face.
She was thinking Of how, yeara ago,
beautiful Kitty had been the Aeetest
trottsr In the country drives and how
proud she had been to drive her about
during her brief but happy courting
days The companion Of those daya
now stood by. stern and still, watch
ing tho dying struggle of his favorite,
and when his wife looked up and said,
gently: "She IL dead now, poor, poo,
Kittyr he turned away without speak.
ing. Presently he turned again saying
In . hard voice: John. get me some.
thing to kill this colt with" -~
There WAS . chorus of mo, NO, nor
and Ruey, the cleven-year-old daugh'
ter. rose up from where she had been
crouching under clump Of lilscs.
"You won't kill poor Kitty's baby,
will you, papa9 Let us keep It,"
"What will you do with it9 An ugly
white thing that looks like . sheep
How will you feed it?" y
''I'll feed her, father" This from
beneath Jonnny's tssr-wet cost sleeve.
"What withp" Ur.
"He may have the milk from my
heifer," Ruey said. please let him
keep her."
well, you may try. but II I And you
neglecting her I'll kill her, sure"
Johnny straightway began his min.
istrations, taking the poor, famished
baby away from her mothers body
and contriving bottle TO feed her.
Mr. Campbell was not by nature 4
hard man, but circumstances had made
him 30. In his fathers house he had
been the center of interest round
which an admiring crowd of sisters
girl cousins and aunts had revolvcd
making him feel himself to be the YER.
liable center OF the universe. When
he courted his wife he did so in char.
acteristic manner, feeling that he did
her an honor, and letting her know
that he felt 30. When their children
were born-twins-he felt aggrieved
that they were not both boys so that
he might name them for himself and
father-John and Daniel But one oi
them being boy he felt himself en-
titled to the honor and named him
John. His daughter he named Zeruiah
for his mother. but, long since loving
lips had softened the name to "Ruey.'
1t never occurred to him that his
wife might wish to name at least one
Of them, nor did she mention any such
desire. During their babyhood John
ny had been his fathers favorite
but now he was old enough to work he
expected him to have 1T once the
strength OF q man TO do and the wis
dom OF man TO plan his work. And
Johnny was = boy. Worse still, h<
was just such q boy % his father had
been, self-assertive and full OF rcstles.
energy Ut times, and rs lasy q hi
Satanic majesty could desire At others
In vain Ruey hovered about with def
helpfulncss to shield him; al she coult
do was togetinto the scrape, wha vel
1t was, and get whipped too. Which
was . comfort to Johnny. II not to her
self. The woods and the streaml
wooed him with witchery he coult
not Withstand. The lenR, intermin
able corn rows looked 20 cruelty ho1
and monotonous when, going west, h,
could see the lush tops OF the wAtel
NAPLES, and the wide-spreadinR, ghost
ly white limbs, Of the aycamores OF
Tebo creek, and hear the Turing call o,
the spring bird"-"flsh, Ash, fishing.
That is what Johnny thoughtit It said
and what Johnny called the bird, ant
what every boy on Tebo bottoms cali
it. What Its true name 10 know not
but have heard that when . bo,
hears 1t his jackknife opens almost Of
its own accord 10 cut . fishing pole
and - spirit in his feet" takes mer
creekwards willy nilly, but this can
not swear to. only know that The
two hired men 1T the Campbell farm
would at such times plow twenty row.
across the long held while Johnny Wal
blowing one, and st quitting time
Johnny's horses would be fresh and
fr!slsy, while the others would be al
most too tired TO walk. Ali thil
counted up heavily against Johnny
he said to himself that every boy haa