The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-05
COUNTRY CIDER OR
COUNTESS IDA?
Washington Star.)

! \ rickety old colored man had drawn
his horse and cart to a curb to let a
! parade go by. The cart had home
I made body that had turned a time
| eaten gray, and the deathly white
| horse had moth-eaten patches on his
/ sides and a detected droOp to his head.
| over his ears was a horse bonnet of
/ last summer, or maybe the summer
/ before.
/ To the woman person who stopped TO
/ pat him on the neck it seemed that
/ the poor fellow realized that he was
/ forcing the season, but was too old and
cowed to resent the humiliation The
pat was recognized by a flick of the
mOth-eaten ear next to her, and she
said into it, confidentially:
4 wouldn't mind the bonnet, if L was
you. 1t doesn't look bad, really. But
l wonder why he put it on!'
The rickety old man chuckled and
gave the horse another pat on his side,
which started both ears a Ticking.
Il had to put on de bonnet dis mawn-
in, cause de sun on de snow hut her
eyes"
why. that's a pity. Do you sup
Tose she knows she has it on?"
''Suttingly. she knows she got on dat
bonnet. Yas'm, she knows she got dat
bonnet on. Country Cider amt no
bOdy's fool"
That's a right funny name for a
horse, isn't it?"
"WelFm, We all thinks Country cider
got a vehy fine name. 1t come outn a
book"
Il wish 1 knew the name of the
book"
Il don't know what de book call it
self outside, lady, but dey was a man
in it what chris'n hisself a lord. Now,
OF, Iat n
up an call hissef a lord? But he done
done il. cause I heard Miss Fan read
in de book out loud TO de white ladies
whar / ulster lib. An dis here lord man,
he had a daughter named Country Ci-
der, an he wanted her to marry a fren'
of his called a-markets, or sOmp'n like
dat-but Miss Country Cider she was
in love wiz a poah young man, an so
while de lord man an de market man
was plannin' a big weddin', she clar
out an lope off wiz de young man, an
dey lived happy ever after-an' Miss
Fan she called dis mare after de young
gal in de book, cause she KEEP runinn'
off an lOpin', and dat how she come
by de name of Country Cider. Mon,
dat was a mOnsous long time back
Dis ole mare here ulster to rar an
stomp an go kitin' down de road wiz
little Miss Fan in dem days-an' now
DOdD MISS II oil 10 uctlQ oil Illus lbl SUI
an me an Country Cider Jes' manages
to poke along-sOmehow."
"Why, that's a fine story, uncle. Do
you reckon Country Cider dislilNes her
bonnet"
Nome. She don't mind it when de
snow huts her eyes. Eff / had tempted
to put OF dat bonnet when de groUn'
was free, like, she'd let me know her
'pinion monty quick. You ought to see
dis ole mare cahy on when she git
ready"
How did you find out that the snow
hurt her eyes?"
Huh, huh, lady, you sholy amt
riz, Why, kin tell by watch |
in Horses has eyes like we all, an /
when dey gifts old der eyes gifts weak, I
presactly like our'n. What I ben /
steddyin' about mahself, is, why de |
doctor men don't makes specs for /
horses. When l was little, dere warnt /
so many specs as you see now, an lots /
er middlin' age folks had to stop sew |
in an tother eye wuk, cause de alls /
sight gin out. Eveybody's weahin' |
specs desc times, an my ole CONAN en- /
fred a needle as spry as de mex If you
knows any doctor gemman, lady, you /
tell him fob de good LaWd's sake to |
make some specs for horses an cows"
"I believe I read, somewhere, that |
COWS wear spectacles in Switzerland, 1
uncle, but I won't be sure"
''Whar is Swetsrn? Eff 1 got enough |
money l suttinly will write to 'em to |
SEN me a pair for my ole red steer. He |
squinches evy time de sun strikes him !.
you ask dat doctor gemman, if you |
knos him. Tha1ky, lady, 1 sholy is |
TO you. ! was jes' honin' |
for a plug of fine twis'-"
And as the woman person gave a !
parting pat To the deathly white horse |
she wondered if by any possible chance |
her name could be Countess Ida.