The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-06-24

me brick residence, with sturdy
liars and fiankine galleries, on a
srassy knoll that slopes up from q
Winding pike. Barns, whitewashed
aud clean as a sanded kitchen floor;
fences, shining in long lines in the
hszy, spring sunlight; orchards, in
bloOm and leaf; wheatfields, stretch
ing away in billowy freshness, turn
inv now to amber, now to emerald,
! As tho west wind laughed across
them Further on, a meadow, dot
ted With sheep and cattle, while
nearer the house, and to the right, a
narrower meadow Of bluegrass,
through which merrily leaped a
sparkling branch whose source was
IN large stone dairy near the
house. This meadow had been divi-
ded into paddock after paddock,
each containing a handsome mare or
two. with foal at her side.
This is the home of Col. James
pnwlddie, the courtliest gentleman,
best farmer, kindest friend, most re-
lentees enemy, most charitable
nelg1bOr, nerviest gambler, and
owner of some of the best race horses
in Tennessee.
Horse racing" he has said
hundred times, lis the sport of the
gods. a man must raise horses
twenty or thirty years and have his
ancestors do the same, too, before
he can become an all around gentle
man. The proper study of mankind,
sir with due respect to Alexander
Pope is horsekind. Gambling on
horse races is wrong-of course it is,
sir. It's wrong just like it's wrong to
gamble on the price of wheat or
corn, or city lots, or to rattle off
cakes and quilts at church festivals,
or to run up bill at your grocer's
when the chances are ten to one
you'll never pay it-wrong, all
wrong, sir. But how are you going
to stop ite |, for one, shall not try.
The Dinwlddies can show ten gener-
atoms of gentlemen, sir, and not a
single hypocrite''-and he would in
vte you out to a paddock to see
stallion he had lately imported from
England. the winner of the Der
by, SIR" he would add as he looked
him critically over; 1.-The winner OF
the Derby, while kings and prin-
cesses looked on in admiration and
delight"
The day wears dreamily on, being
one of those spring days when wan.
ton May, COO qletting both with April
and June, varies her moods to suit
each ardent wooer. Everything is
busy growing-too busy to attend to
anything but its own affairs. Even
Brutus, the Colonels negro jockey.
was rubbing with more than usual
attention a magnificent blood-like
gray mare half covered with cost
ly all-wool blanket, on which the
Dinwiddie monogram was stitched
in red silk. In the clean. newly
swept hall way she stood, impatient
ly enough, with the cooling bride
pn, her keen ears now flashing for
ward, rs some object attracted her
attention in front, now laid back
Overwhelmingly on her neck as the
Vigorous jockey rubbed too ardently
her steaming sides-for he had Just
Eiven her her morning work out
bnd champ ping necessarily the bright
bound sna ille-bit in the loosely-fitting
bead stall. An imp of darkey,
welye or fifteen years old, small,
Tiry, with quick, sharp eyes, sits
ust out of reach of the mares heels
pn au upturned peck measure, and
Watches like cat every movement
u the deft rubber.
Jake, as his name went, was a
Privileged character. "The~mascot
the barn." as the colonel called
i'm, land we can't get along with
ut him him and the rat terrier.
ust watch them, Brutus," he had
aid only yesterday TO the new
9ckey he had lately imported from
New Orleans to ride his horses and
nperintend his stable, "and don't let
benz so to sleep in the stall with
Id Mlstis or get too near the mares
cells. With any of the other horses
makes little difference. My luck
Fould desert me if either of them
ot hurt" Today Jake was taking
Is first opportunity to tell the new
Pckey all he knew.
You gotter be mighty keerful
pr, wild ole Mistis," he said, as the
J
ON too careless stroke OF the
ooer, mighty keerful. She's el
pcommon kuis mair an wuf all de
s ob de string. Didn't ole Marstel
II you you mustn't nurver try tt
b her off 'twell you'd fust cleaned
her face-de berry op'site from
y yuther hossP He aintP Wal
er good thing l tole you, o.
'u er bin kicked ober de barn
didn't he tell you erbout de war
rln' oh her, dat she didn't drinl
|rlng warter like de yuthers. bu
u had to warter her outen de els
n whar de white folks drinks
ainP Wal, you jes try her now
Ell die OBJ thirstivashun afOr
IL dtink drap unless it cum
ten de cistern. I'm de onliest on
understands dis mair, an dat
iac," said the imp, as he aros
I'm his improvised seat and ran
Nd down into a jean pocket wher
mad stored away bright carrot
pplng csrelessly under the mare
K, before the jockey could sto
1 a. he bobbed up suddenly to he
% aud presented to her the ric
\ getable, txclaiming: "Heah, 20
y ghost, faster'n CREASED ligh
Y & down or skinned sycermor'
y meaner'n de debil to bis mut
law-take dis!" and de bit sto,
y rattling in her nervous jaws &
y procee ded to devour the caro-
" II which she whinnied and the
a osd her nose affectionately on
II Ieiy cropped, woody head, wit
~ y sign of satisfaction. ''Tal
II outer dis heah barn." remarke
little darkey pompously, as
lied back to his seat, catchir
mare playfully by the tail as