Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-12-07
M AND MUSIC.
a Horse That Liked n Lively Tune, and
Wouldn't stop for sad Only.

There was a beautiful horse on nv
fathers farm, the pride aud delight Of
us all, but like many Others he had an
u~nconquerabie dislike to being caught.
My father had so trained him TO ohedi-
ence that he gave very little trouble-a
whistle and a wave of the hand and
Robert would come to be saddled. But
-~left to orr old gardener Willy. he
would lead him a chase generally end
ing in defeat. One very hot summer
day | was sitting at work IN the garden
when Willy appeared, streaming with
perspiration.
what is the matter, WHIP"
Matter enough, miss. There's that
Robert, the %uncanny beast: he won't be
caught. all can do and say. I've give
him corn and one Of the best pears of
the tree. but he's too deep for me. He
snatched the pear, kicked up his heels,
aud Of be is, laughing at me at the bot
tom of the meadow"
! was very sorry for the old man, but
| did not clearly see how TO catch the
delinquent. / could well believe he was
laughing at our old friend, for he was a
curious animal.
well, Willy, what will / do? He
won't let me catch him, you know"
"Ay. miss. but if you will only just 90
in aud begin a toon on the p%ianner cook
says he will come up to the fence and
hearken to you, for he is always a-doin'
that; and maybe ! a slip up behind
and cotch him."
| went in at once, not expecting my
stratagem to succeed. But in a few min
utes the saucy creature was standing
quietly listening while | played Scots
Who Haze WI Wallace Bled." The halter
away to be harnessed, quite happy and
contented.
There was a great popularity about
his taste for music. He would never
stay to listen TO a plaintive song. l
soon observed this. Ii / played Scots
.Wha Haze" he would listen, well pleased.
If | changed the measure and express
sion, playing the same air plaintively,
as, for instance, in the Land o. the
Leal," he would toss his head and walk
away, as if to say: That's no sort of
music" Changing to something mar
tial. he would return and listen to me.
In this respect be entirely differed
from a wonderful cow we had, says a
writer in Chambers Journal. She had
an awful temper. Old Willy used TO
say: "She Is the most contrariest beast
under the SUM-" If she were in one of
her ill-humors it was with the greatest
difficulty she could be MIXED. She
never would go with the other COWS at
milling time. Nancy be MIXED with
them! That was a thing not to be
thought of. She liked the cook, and
when not too busy cook would manage
Miss Nancy. But if she were not care
full. up would go Miss Nancy's foot and
over would go the milk pail and its
precious contents. When the cook
MIXED her it was always close TO the
fence near the drawing-room. If l were
playing she wonld stand perfectly still.
yielding her milk without any trouble.
and won d remain until l ceased. As
long as / played plaintive muslc-"The
Land o. the Leal." "Home. Sweet
Home Robin Adair," any sweet.
tender air-she would stand entranced.
/ have tried her aud changed to martial
music, whereupon she invariably walked
away.
l was sitting in the ~drawing-room one
evening singing to mamma 1t was a
double room with folding doors. She
was in one where there was a lamp.
In my room, which was unlighted. the
window was open. and close to the
window was a stand for music. When
/ ceased playing l heard a peculiar
! sound, and was conscious there was
something in the room. | called for a
light. There, sitting on the stand. was
a large, white owl. He looked far less
| surprised hal we did. In a minute or
two he stepped quietly out of the win
dow and fled away. After that we did
not leave the lower sash open. but the
owl still came and sat upon the stand
outside. listening.