The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-20
Copyright. 1881

monty and vulgarly known as the
skate" lie belongs to the breed that
can be driven by women. children or
the new cook OF Polish origin. He has
4 few little weaknesses of his own. but
you admire him notwithstanding what
might be called his nerviness. lie never
passes fruit store without making
stop. The finest brandy in the world
would not tempt him, but particular
ly nice apple. blushing on one side. or a
tender peach. looking most too good for
this world, charms him, so that he has
been known to really enter the shop and
demand, in a horses way, the fruit
that he loves best.
This particular skate which have
controlled during the summer months.
unfortunately got what was called by
the gentleman who owned him "a nod
dity in his fore leg" During this time
we drove to our sorrow, a horse, or,
rather, mare, titan OF color good of
shape, but with a temper like all the
tempers that were ever made and then
her but once, and that once was quite
enough for me. She SHE'D at ragman,
ran down the road. dumped me in the
grass, sent my slippers dying through
the air. while my companions were
scratched and bruised and accused me
of trying to kill them. while, between
you and me, think they were glad,
after the first ache was better, to de-
scribe themselves as heroines and TO
tell of the adventure after the fashion
Of detective story.
After this l was content with the
"skate." and 1 drove him with loose
rein and feeling that my heart was
true to him even IL he did wheeze and
had q queer fashion OF going into the
barnyards of people who were entirely
unknown TO me. He was a sociable
horse. At least that's the way we have
worked out his idea. He longed to get
acquainted with the neighbors. One
afternoon the skate" whose name was
Prince and who had good blood in his
veins--at least we were told so-agreed
with me that it would be pleasant TO
give all the children a drive. So off we
went, little and big. wearing hats from
linen tam to large leghorn laden with
white plumes. Prince went along very
well for a short time. but at the foot OF
fused to bulge.
Prince was determined to 60 up that
hill. and I concluded II was Just as
well to let him go. and so learn what
object he had in view. He piled up the
hill, while the children hft stray boys
with peanuts and fired chewing gum at
the dogs. and at the very top Prince
stood quite still and looked round at
us all. as much as to say: who among
you poor miserable two legged crea-
lures is worthy OF a monument like
that? You can get hold OF q scoundrel
any day, you can get hold OF some re-
spectacle man any day. but IL is only
once in a century that Hambletonian
appears" And then the smallest boy
who was I'm the Second Reader read
out the inscription on the obelisk of
plain granite. He was pretty slow
about II, but he succeeded in making
even me understand. The inscription
read:
HAMBLEToNIAN.
The Great Progenitor of Trotters.
Born May 5. 1s4s.
Died March q. 1876.
SO, you see, after all, a good trotter.
like the small child in Sunday school
book. has n monument raised TO his
memory. but it's Disgrace, with a
capital d, that some of the numerous
bodies who contributed to Hambleto-
nian and who had gained ducats by
him do not have the grounds kept In
order and the fence painted. Having
been born a Quaker. can't bear to see
things not quite tidy. but for once in
my life. and that's this summer. had
so much tidiness that I turned and
fed.
Things were arranged this way:
There was an oyster shell on every
mantelshelf to hold dead matches. BY
dead matches I mean those that have
had the breath OF life burned out OF
them. In the corner OF the room was a
tiny tea chest intended to hold scraps
OF paper. and II by chance you drop
ped your dead match I'm your tea chest
or your piece OF paper In your shell
the ladies Of the family. usually spo-
ken OF as girls" though It's been many
day since they clapped hands for
mamma. came down upon YOU with a
wrath that only a boarding house keep
er can exhibit. They were the cieanest
people I ever saw. Cleanliness to them
meant Christianity. but II was iinpos-
sible to be as gone on cleanliness as
they are and still be a Christian. They
hadn't a pet around the house-they
considered pets unladylike--and one OF
the family who had that sort of temper
that breaks out like big Fourth oi
July cracker and fzzes and buzzcs
would have liked Ia wash the water IN
the we'll The Lord Almighty and she
couldn't arrange this. so they took u
IA II came. Having seen such ultra
cleanliness. shall In the future bc
charitable TO those who regard dust ~
the bloom OF time.
I've been trotting around n good bit
this summer and been forming r eood
many conclusions. and one of them il
tho more a man claimr To- DE chris
t:an the less likely e. he TO give you
anything 90 cat. lie waters the milk al