The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-07-08
David Harum's Horse Deal.
For the Democratic Advocate.

For the Democratic Advocate.
David Harum BY Edward Soyes westcot Z.
Appleton & Co., New York. 1899 Sl50.
This is one of the most popular novels of the
son. Brought out in the beginning of the present
year by the Appletons, it soon became leader in
the number of copies sold, AMI how long it may
continue to hold that lead can not yet be fore
seen. Perhaps the lamented death of the author
just as the book was going to press may have at
traeted some attention to it and brought to it a
somewhat earlier popularity. But the genuine
merits of the book would sooner or later have as
sured it place among the best of the new Ameri-
can novels
The scenes are laid in central New York. David
Harum, the hero of the tale, is a combination of
that plain, hard, common sense mother-wit, and
keen insight into the weaknesses of human nature,
commonly regarded as characteristic of the typical
American. The droll humor of David's sayings
would alone make the book popular. rexample,
'Do unto the other fellow the way he'd Ike TO DO
unto you-au' do it fust.''
In the first paragraph of the first chapter David is
introduced as follows "David poured half of his
second cup of tea into his to lower its tenn
perature to the drinking point and helped himself
to second cut of ham and third egg Whatever
was on his mind to have kept him unusually silent
during the evening meal, and TO cause certain
wrinkles in his forehead suggestive of perplexity
or misgiving, had not impaired hisappetite. David
was what he called "a good feeder
The sister with whom David lived soon drew from
him that it was of young man about to be en-
Moved in his bank that David was thinking, and
not the horse deal with the "deakin'' which was
disturbing her own mind It is said that the chap
tiers describing that horse deal, give the best
story of its kind yet produced. Davids wit and
shrewdness sparkle in every line.
'sWa'al says David, ''next to the deakin's relig-
ious experience, them of lawn an horse-tradIn
air his strongest pints an he works the hull on EN-
to once sometimes" This in reply TO a reported
threat of the deakins to sue David for selling him
a balky horse.
The sister is very uneasy but David is perfectly
cool In answer TO further anxious inquiries he
saws: "wnen you gotta baker to dispose Of you
can't aIwus pick an choose Fust come. fuSt sery-
ed"
Dayid's GOODNESS grew out OF the fact that years
ago the deakin had sold him something. Was 1t a
horse :" asked Mrs Bixbee gratuitously.
"Wa'al," David replied, "mebbe it had ben some
time but at that partic lar time the only thing to
determine that fact was that it want nothin else
His sisters sympathies are all on Dayids side
now, and to further questions he answers Wa al,
l genial prefer to settle out of court, an in this
particlar case, while l might a ben willing t adj
NIT that I he'd ben did up, didn't feel much ike
swearfn to it,
Then the sister must know all about this last
"puffomance."
David had been over to Whiteboro where he
noticed some stuangers who had inst come in with
a very fine looking horse The ain scratch her
a pimple on him. He's sound an kind. ann stand
without hitchin' an lady en- drive him s well
a man." So David bought the animal for si25.
asa s,,,afY ,voolan some said David. but the
fellow declared he had told only the gospel truth
IAN when / come to think on I afterward." said
David with a half laugh, sit mebbe want gospel
truth but it was good enough jury truth
Then David had talk with the barn man, after
which he "smelt wooden stronger'n ever, but 60
ing home the horse travelled so well he lost the
smell of wooden altogether. Il swan fore l got
home I reckoned I'd jest as good as made seventy
five anyway"
tThen tn want nothin the matter with him.
after all" commented Mrs. Bixbee in rather dis
appointed tone.
'sThe meanest thing top Of the earth was the mat
ter with him" declared David, "but didn't md II
ont tin the next afternoon an then found it out
good I hitChed him to the open buggy an went
round by the East road, cause that amt 50 much
travelled. He went along ail right till we got -
mile or so out or the village, an then slowed him
down to a walk. wa'al, sir, scat my lie
hadn't walked more'n a rod fore he come to dead
stan still l cucked an git appd, an finely took
the cad to him little, but he only jest kind
bumped up a little an stood like he'd took root
sTwaal I tried al the tricks knowed-
an could lead him-but when was in the buggy
he wouldn't stir till he got good an ready then
he'd 20 on a spell" . . . ''Waal hnely got
home with the critter but thought one time 10
either hev to lead him or spend the night on the
East road" The was times when Il he'd
fell down dead wouldn's hey hggercd on putin
a band on my hat but il don't never pay TO gii mad
with hos: an as fur's the feiler bought him Of
when remembered how he told me he'd stand
without hitchin'. swan l had to laugh. Old
fer a fact stand without hitchinH He, he, he +
@s@as 9Th next day hitched the new one 70
tn dem'erat wagin an put Ia = lot Of straps an
rome an started Of Ter the East road agin- He
went fust nate till we come 10 about the place
where we had the ftlst trouble an. sure enough,
he baked agin. I leaned over an hit him smart
cut on the OF shoulder, lfl; he only bumped lit
tie an never lifted a foot hit him another lick,
with the self same result Then got down an
strapped that animal soft he couldn't move nothln
but his head an tail got back into the buggy
wa'al bonby it may a ben ten minutes, or II
may a ben more or less-its slow work settin SIN
behind balkin' horse-he was ready TO so on bis
own account but he couldn't bulge de kind o
looked around. much to say, What on earth :
the matter? g an then he tried another move, an
then another but no go. Then got down an took
the hobbies OF an then climbed back into the bug
gy. an says Cluck', 10 him, an OF he stepped as
clipper as could be. an we went ioggin' along all
right mebbe two mile an when slowed up, up he
come agin gin him another clip in the sane
Lace on the shoulder an got down an tied him
ND agin an the same thing happened as before
only IL didn't take him quite so long TO make up
his mind about startin an we went some further
without a hitch. But had to 20 through the pai-
Sorcanee the third time before he got IL into bis
head that II he didn't 20 when wanted he could
MT go when he wEnteG. an that didn't suit him
an when he felt the whip ON bis shoulder II meant
business 80 bad to give him one more go
round an after that didn't have no moFe trouble
with him He showed symptoms at times boz a
touch of the whip on the shoulder alwus fetched
him. Ialwus carried them straps, though, TIL the
last two or three times
David had conquered his "hoss;' his problem
now was to conquer the 'deakin."
Driving the balky bay one day he stopped in
front of the deakias 10 tell him that he had roam
horse at home that would suit the parson, but as
the deakin knew him better wouldn't he come
down and get the roam and sell him 70 the parson.
The deakin would.
II didn't expect him 10 jump down my throat,
said David ''but / seen him prick up his ears. an
ali the time was talkin' l noticed him lookin my
boss over. head an foot" The deakin got in snd
David put the animal to his best HE bad to pull
that old broad-brim of his down 70 his ears an
don't you forget it" They drove into the yard
David told the man to put the bay horse away and
bring out the roam. But the dsakin had no eyes or
ears now for any thing but the bay horse.
hffrhtusff said
David How much viii buy him1 says the
deakin.
Two hundred dollars says David. rs that
your last wordg' That's what it is" says David.
''cash down" Didn't ye dast to trust the deakin''
asked Mrs. Bixbee Polly" said David, THERESA
number of holes in ten foot ladder"
The deakin found it hard to pay the other Eel
ler's price" as David put it, ''but he wanted that
horse worse n a COW wants calf an after little
more squimmidgin' he hauled out his wallet an
forked over"
''Hain't he said anything 70 ye?' Ms Bixoee IN
quired. HE, he, he, he He haint but once an
the want but little of it then"
A day or two after the deakin sold himself Mr..
Stick-in' Plaster David went on, he had an ar
rant beyond the deakin's. Coming back It began
TO rain About mile out he something in
the road ahead and presently discovered that 1t
was the deakin erouehing as far possible under
his broad brim that was "a sheddin water like
roof" He'd larrup spell, an then he'd set back;
an then he'd lean over an try it agin' harder n