Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-10-18
HIS COLT ROYAL.

The lay on vhict w., u wears q. a ~,
father SAID &c D.c ,.niue. walk down
The lane with me &c ,hc pasture lot
want 20 show YOU ,mcthing Ncvc
,uspicioninr anything ,rudecd a!ou.
/ with father and what should Aud IN tA
! pasture lot but inc cunnlnge,t, prettic-t
, ,ye!ie-t colt boy ever clapped eyes on
That l. my birthday present 10 you.
said father V, samuel give tho col
20 you 10 dc with A. you like for YOU y,
beer good boy and have done well a
school
You can easily understand that my boy
ish heart overlooked with pride and JOY
and gratitude \ great many years hav,
elapsed since that time but haven't Cor
gotten and never shall forget the delight
of that moment, when realized that had
u colt Of my own-a real live colt, and a
Morgan colt AT that
How old is he, fathcr2 ! asked
a week Old come tomorrow, said
father.
Has Judge Phipps seen him yet:" 1
asked
no; nobody has seen him but you and
me and the hired man
peace had profound respect for him,
for what he didn't know about horses
wash t worth knowing was sure of this,
because the Judge himself told me 50.
one of the first duties to which applied
myself was To go and got the Judge and
show him the colt The Judge praised the
pretty creature inordinately, enumerating
all his admirable points and predicting a
fpr ,tI,
went so far as To express the conviction
that in due time my colt would win i'm
perishable rcnown and immortal laurels
As "A competitor AT the meetings of the
Hampshire County Trotting association, >"
of which association the Judge was the
president, much to the scandal of his esti.
mable wife who viewed with piouS horror
her husbands connection with the race
track
What do you think | ought TO name
my colt | asked the Judge
When | was about your age" tho
judge answered, Il had colt, and |
named him Royal He won all the
premiums at the county fair before he was
8 years old
That was quite enough for me To my
thinking every utterance Of the Judge
was * cathcdra; moreover in my boyish
exuberance l fancied that this name
would start my colt auspiciously upon q
famous career / began at once 10 think
and 10 speak Of him as the prospective
winner of countless honors
From the moment when | first set ewes
on Royal | was his stanch friend Even
now after the lapse of years. cannot think
of my old companion without feeling here
in my breast sense Of gratitude that that
honest, patient, loyal friend entered so
largely into my earlier life
Twice a day used to trudge down the
lane To the pasture lot To look at the colt.
and invariably | was accompanied bv a
troop of boy acquaintance who heartily
envied me my good luck and who RECALLED
mo constantly with suggestions of what
they would do If Royal were their colt
Royal soon became friendly with us ali |
and he would respond 20 my call. whinny-
ing to me as ! came down the lane. as
much as 10 say Good morning 10 YOU, |
little master. | hope you are coming to /
have romp with me" And, gracious, /
how he would curve his tail and throw up /
ais head and gather his short body to.
yether and trot around the pasture lot on /
hose long legs Of hist He enioyed life.
Royal did, as much as we boys enjoyed IL. /
Naturally enough. | made all sorts OF |
1lans for Royal | recall that, after | had
been on visit 10 Springfield and had be.
held for the first time the marvcls Of
}arnum's show. | made up my mind that
when Royal and | We're old enough we
would unite our fortunes with those OF a
lrcus, ana III my Imagination | already
pictured huge and gaudy posters announc-
ng the blood curdling performances ~
he daShing bareback equestrian Samuel
Jowlesi upon his fiery Morgan stccd.
loyal. This plan was not at all approved
4 ny Judge Phipps, who continued 20 in
lst that II was on the turf and not i'm the
awdust circle that Royal genius. lay and
this way of thinking ! wa, finally con
ertcd, but not until the judge had prom
seq 10 give me sulky as soon a ROYAL
em"nstrated his ability 10 make a mile
n gao
1t l. not without sigh OF regret that in
ny present narrative | pass over the five
ears next succeeding the date of Royal
trivial, Tor they were very happy years
Indeed at this distant period am able
recall only that my boyhood was full
rimtul OF happiness. / broke ROYAL my
,t. Father and the hired man stood
round and made suggestions, and at
ines they presumed TO take a hand i'm the
roceedingS. Virtually however broke
loyal TO the harness and to the saddle. and
tier that was even more attached 10 him
nan ever bciore-you know how 1t l. II
yer you We broke n colt yourself
When went away 10 college IL seemed
me that leaving Royal was almost a.
ard a. leaving mother and father You
e. the colt had become "a very large part
my boyiSh life-followed me like net
~, was lonesome when wasn't round
sed to rub his nose against my arm and
'ok lovingly at me out Of his big. dark.
lourntul eyes-yes | cried when / said
bobby TO him the morning started for
iliamstown ] was ashamed Of il then.
ut not now--no not now
But my fun was all the keencr. guess
hen l came home at vacation times
hen we had it, up hill and down dale
oval and | did In the summer time {
ong the narrow roads we trailcd and
trough lcafy lanes. and In my exultation
would cut 40 the tall weeds AT the road.
dc and whisk al the boughs arching over !
'ad, a. II ! were "A warrior mounted for
'ttle and these other things were human
ctims 70 my valor. In the winter we ,
ed away over the snow and ice. careless
the bowling OF the wind and tho wrath .