The herald., 1896-03-08
HOW THE PARSONS WIFE
RODE TO CHURCH

Pars On Halston had just arrived the
previous winter from Virginia with his
bride, and located in the rustic country
village Of c..
The people of that quiet village had
extended to him, and his wife, the open
cordiality which the early settlers
knew so we'll to bestow upona stranger.
But their warm ardor was rather
checked by the cold stateliness of their
PASTORS wife, whom they considered
rather too dignitied for the wife OF a
Methodist preacher"
But her dignity, to their great sur
prise, was suddenly laid aside. one Sun
day morning, owing to a pair of twin
calves which Parson Halston owned.
This is how it happened:
One bright Sunday morning the par-
son had gone to the little adobe church
where he was to discourse that day, on
The Evil of Breaking the Sabbath"
He had left his wife at home, as she
felt too indisposed to walk the mile to
church, through the hot sand, with the
burning California sun beating down
upon her head.
After her husbands departure she
heard the twin calves believing, and
as they were yoked together she feared
they might choke each other. SO che
went out to the corral to unyoke them.
When she reached the cal es they were
both lying down as if choked. and just
as she was STOPPING to unyoke them
jumped up under her.
She never knew how it happened,
but the fret thing she realized she was
astride the calves and SO evenly bal
anced that she could not dismount.
Away through the open gate, down the
lane, toward the church, heller skelter,
pellmell, flew the frightened animals.
Her frantic efforts to alight only made
the calves speed faster, and as she was
sitting with her face to their anecdotes
she had no way of guiding them.
The pastor with his flock we're emerg-
ing from the church. He was listening
with qualification to the praises Of
some of the deacons for the scoring he
had given the congregation on the Sin
of Sabbath Breaking. Deacon Solemns
thought it timely sermon, and one
that the younger part Of the congrega-
tion needed. He noticed the parson
made home thrust at the boys when
he spoke Of that nefarious habit that
many of the rising generation of future
American citizens had of breaking the
Sabbath by breaking the backs of
young calves and colts in their efforts
to ride them Sunday afternoons. While
they were commenting cloud Of dust
was seen down the road, made by
the queerest object they had
ever beheld. They all strained
their eyes, but in vain. Not even
the old "Forty Miners" who had
crossed the plains, ald seen all sorts Of
caravans, could discern what strange
creature it was. But what was their
horror, as it draw near, to see their
PASTORS wife riding astride two calves
Her hair flying in the wind, her head
facing their neither extremities, and
swaying from side to side in her vain
efforts to alight on terra firma. The
sisters, in horror turned their backs;
the brothers shyly risked one eye at
her shapely limbs, while the boys
looked on with amusement, mingled
with envy, at her agility in riding two
wild calves. Twas feat which the
most daring rider of yearlings had
never performed with half her success.
Turning a corner just beyond the
church one of the calves fell, and off
she rolled, though not very gracefully.
She WAS licked up, more dead than
alive.
She ever afterwards gave calves a
wide berth, so fearful was she of again
initiating John Gilpin's Ride.
CALIRMA.