The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-02
LITTLE GREY BRONCO
ST. CRoIx

~
like to compare men with the
brute creation. but fear to, knowing
from observation that the br ute does
net always come out second best.
The following incident, occurring
in city in Wisconsin, / now use as
case in point to illustrate my mean
ing of moral suasion, or what Is
more to the point, that power which
might be spoken of as generic love
arising from the just exercise of the
higher morals.
The illustration: A one-horse
wagon, loaded with very nearly
cord of wood; a small iron,gr
horse of the bronco variety hitched
to the loaded wagon. Itwould have
| been a big load even for a heavy
draft horse, but for the little bronco,
it was proving milestone instead.
The little fellow had, however, man.
aged quite well SO far, but when /
first saw him, he stood with legs
spread wide apart and head dropped
low.
| looked at the horse, then at the
load, and out of natural curiosity,
supposedly, stopped to wait for the
load to be started again. | waited
for perhaps ten or fifteen minutes,
but the horse, beyond few slightly
perceptible movements remained as
he stood. The driver, however, had
walked clear around the load twice,
picking up the lines each time and
stepping to the horses head had first
clucked' and then pulled at bits,
then stepping back ficked with a
long willow switch the back, the
legs, and alternately, the head and
at the ears of the brute between the
shafts. Still the little grey fellow
remained immoveable.
The switch being laid on follow
ing the Ticking operations soon had
been worn to a stump. the stump in
turn doing duty as prod or goad,
but no move from the horse. Welts
appeared on the back and sides and
legs of the little grey; the man swore
and called him stubborn brute and
yanking a small four-foot sapling
off the load, began using that to prod
and then to club his horse over
back, legs and head. The bronco
just stood as before; his body, legs
and nose showing open cuts, and
blood began to trickle from them
and from the nostrils. l had seen
all that | could endure and still re-
press myself, but at sight of con-
tinued beatings l cried out: Stop
| it; you'll kill that little horse?" At
the same time that l called to the
man to let-up on his clubbing, a
lady, who had been watching, as /
Judge many of the neighbors must
have been, opened the door to her
home and came bare-headed out into
the street. In one hand she held a
teacup filled with sugar, in the other,
her gathered-up house apron with
which she was dabbing at her eyes.
While at the same time saying,
Wait minute; don hit that poor
little horse anymore. Let me try a
way l think it will do a great deal
more good"
! The man stepped back and allow
ed the lady to come forward to the
horses head. She poured out a
} handful of sugar in her palm, wiped
, off some of the blood on the little
horses nose with her apron, and
then offered him the sugar in he1
i hand. At first the bronco seemed
J not to notice the proffered kindness,
but the lady, having gently rubbed
little of the upper-lying sugar up
just inside his lips, he cooked UP
: first one ear and then the other, nib
bled the least bit at the handful and
, after short pause, helped himself
to more until the lady replenishlng
the amount from her teacup had ex-
hausted the full supply. She then
, patted the little horse on the nose
where it was not laid open by the
club, spoke gently, and it seemed te
me, sweetly to him and stepped back
. a step or two. The bronco munched
at his mouthful, pricked forward
first one and then the other of his
ears, lifted his head higher, straight
| ened his legs and body, and seemed
in this way to actually express his
8 thanks, The lady moved little
/, farther off, spoke again quietly