West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-08-15
4nL sroLHN HORSE.


There lived Ia Auburn, N. y,
some sixty wears ago clergyman.
an intimate friend OF my grand
mother. This gentleman owned
an exceedingly beautiful. fleet a, j
/ graceful sorrtl mare, which bore
the classic name of Diana. She
was the admiration Of the town and
the pride of tho clrrgynan's family.
But, alas one dark and stormy
night the barn WAS boldly entered,
and the beautiful Diana st olen from
her stall. Al efforts TO discover
the clever thief. though long and
perseyerlngly continued, were use
less. At last the family sorrowing
abandoned hope; another, but in
ferlor horse was purchased. to VIII CT
by the way, the children would not
allow the occupancy of the old stall
of their pet, for that with eYery-
thing else that belonged to her.
they insisted upon keeping sacred
to her memory.
Nearly twenty years bad passed,
the clergyman's hair had grown
white with age, snd his children
had become young men and women,
when lie CHANGED one autumn to be
called on business to remote part
of the State. Having an easy
chase, he made the trip, AS was not
uncommon in those days. by private
couteyanoe. lie was riding slowly
along winding road on the third
morning of his Journey, when his
attention was forced from the beau
ties of the scenery to the strange
behavior Of an old horse confined
in pasture by the roadside. The
creature seemed bent upon attract
ing the clergyman notice; it
pranced, snorted, and beat the fence
with its forefeet, keeping all the
time in line with the slowly move.
ing cbaise. Wondering "A little as
to the cause of such singular con-
duct, the clergyman drove along to
the pasture, and then turned from
it down road which branched off
IN an opposite direction. AS he
did so, he was startled by cry of
such human agony from the poor
creature in the pasture that he IN
stantly stopped his horse and looked
back.
There at the corner Of the fence,
she stood, her neck thrust despair
Ingly forward, trembling In every
muscle of her body, her eyes fixed
upon HIM with an expression of
utter, helpless misery, which
STRANGELY moved the tender heart
ed clergyman. He now dis
covered that the head and face of
the animal bore marked resem-
blance to his lost Diana. Impress
ed by the likeness, he obeyed sud
den impulse, and drove rapidly back
to farmhouse near the pasture.
where he found the farmer lust get
ting up from bis twelve O'Clock
dinner.
Friend" said the clergyman.
''is that your horse in the field yon-
der?"
eyes; the mares mine. I've had
Hci "oouI IWGlly years.
Twenty years May | ask where
you got her, friendP"
81 bought her of peddler who
cheated my wife on u gingham gown,
but he didn't cheat me on that
horse"
"Dianal As sure as I'm aliver'
cried the clergyman, starting exoit-
edly for the pasture, followed by the
astonished farmer. He entered the
field and the moment the old mare
caught sight of him she rushed
wildly forward, snorting with de-
light. Old and faded, rough and
lame, the clergyman still unmistak-
ably recognized his lost beauty;md,
oh, the JOY of Diana! Tenderly
she licked her masters hands and
face, lovingly nestled her head up~
on his shoulder, and at last, with
something like her old coquettish
ways, took the rim of his hat daint-
lily between her teeth, and, lifting
1T from his head, replaced it hind
side before.