St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-07-18

e J: J ] !: ! !:
N.& ans mothe
love, aud tn
little old flea
} bitten grn
MMSN NAA horse whicl
/ MEMSSNMMMmSAS has now got tn
W#ME%MNMA MI ~ run of o. u
il WyANMNMNANm Y woods pastel
w~AsMNNSN&sW / am not NOR
than . long days drive from the poo
road house, and sometimesI couldn't 81,
for certain right where I will stan'
when the storekeeper opens up. But -
long a. we both live the little gray cal
git anything that have got that h,
wants.
@One Of Your Has Bccns."
There amt NO particular style abou
that horse, as You will notice, and h
amt got no git-upand-git to speak o
now. But at the same time he is mem
Der. Of the Sanders family, which tn,
family can most in generally alway!
count on me to do the talkin and hustle
| for the necessary 1ixments. He II now
free, white and 81, and give him al
the slack in the reins when II suits him
He hns been dead on his legs and off oi
his feet for 10 these many years, and
consequentially he don't have to make
= track nor fling q shoe exceptin only
when he feels like it. There are other
horses on the place that's younger and
stronger and better lookin than him
and we let them run the wagons and
the plows and do the saddlin and the
drivin for the concern. The old gray
has seen his best days long ago. and he
is now on the pension rolls-drawin
his rations and takin his rest for the
honorable 1ervice. He is Jest what you
mought call one of your has-beens.
But l took my seat with pen in hand to
tell you that tho little old gray has
had his day, and in that day he was
way yonder the best piece Of horse
flesh that ever flung shadow in all
this skirt Of woods. bought him Of
old Squire when he was nothin but a
three-year-old,a and a tremendous shabby
one Mt that. When he was four 1 started
him to holdin the stirrups and wearin
the collar tolerable reglar and frequent,
and then he shed his baby teeth and
commenced fillin out and roundin up
ell around. But he had got stunted in
the start. and there is nothin like a
good start, when it comes to handlin
horse flesh. He never could git over
the bad start in takin ON his form and
general appointments. He was always
slab-sided and sway-back and ruther
awkward in his makeup. All the same
he had some of the stuff in him which
riakes goers and stayers, and he showed
up with it in the day and hour Of trial.
Big leg bones. and high withcrs. and
short back, and drSorin rump. and thin
deep chest. and long, strong hams. BY
g1tlins, there was muscle ON that
horses arms and legs which looked like
young kittens under the skin, and but
for the hard road he had travelled J
have no doubts but what they would of
been fuil-grown cats by now.
Iron bound and copper bottomed
and supple jintcd-he coulf git over the
ground like 4 bird, and hit straight,
rtglar lick all the day long.
The Weather wso ..Franky."
But, as I was goin to say. we and the
little old gray have had some hard rubs
and pulled through some mighty clost
places together in our day and genera
ton, and while we both live he will
Eind corn chops in the troft and fod-
der in the.rack every time he goes to the
stable.
Hit was in the spring time, and way
beck there in the 7es, il my count
aint wrong, and we was farmin then
icwn on the Ccnecub river bottoms.
The rains had come tremendous heavy
md frequent. The river was full to the
briln, bat she want sloppin over any
o speak of, and travcllin was consid- |
red plum safe. Our little Mary was
ncthin but spring pullct then, and
NC had stsrted her to school to one OF |
he Cross 6. rls over the river q mile and
J half, or maybe . little better, from
lome.
When we got up that m0rnin the sky |
xas clear as a bell. and the sun was |
'hinin and the birds singin and the bees
J hummin. 1t had then been a clean 81 /
hours since any rain had fell ON our
,lace, and it looked like noth;n but fair
seather ahead. And little Mary she
vas most crazy to git back to school,
sym how she was now in her Alb Abs.
md ii she missed another day she would
lsve to go foot and spell up, whilst
ne other scholars would laugh and
,oke fun at her.
Il am awful skittish about lettin oar
Aary on to school this mornin, Rufus"
ays mother to me after breakfast, and
hen she would like to know my private
pinions about the general circum-
erence Of the surroundings.
Let the little one 20 to school," SAYS
"She is all wrapped up in her books,
nd it would most break her heart,
reckon, to 60 back and spile out and
tart over"
She is a. smart and handsome as
er mother, and proud and high head
d n her daddy, and by the livin and
cad, she shall have all the schooliu
he will take.
"Dut am mot feelin right easy in
egards to the water and the weather."
aother went on. ''Sposin the river takes
squirt snd gits ont Of her banks. And
hat amt all. Il mout rain to day for ,
U know. Ny corns are hurtin awful
biz mornin, and tho weather II sol
sanky, Rufus."
This aint my time Of year for
posin," says ]. Life = too short and ,
lme II too skeerce. Let the little one
d to ochooa.~