The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-05-26
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE
IN
Concluded from page 81

Co-HlgnC, ne might feel natCered az
my remark, and refuse to speak to
me in the future when we meet.
| unwound a tale of troubles and
tribulations into his sympathetic ears,
whereupon he took pity on me, and
gave me my first lesson in farming,
that is he took charge of the mechan-
ism, laid hold of the ropes, yelled
get up, and to my surprise the
blessed horse got.
He ploughed a couple of burrows
to my intense satisfaction. | admir-
ed that man and could have watched
him all day, but he didn't give me the
chance. He brought that rig all sails
set to a stand alongside of me, and
told me to lay hold of the helm, then
again called "git" and once more the
machinery was in action, so was l.
For 12R feet that pillow worked to
perfection, then something went
wrong with the steering gear. There
was a list to ~starboard and | threw
the helm hard a-port. She veered
and | tried to throw her up to the
wind. l tripped and was brought
back to my original position by
of the handles striking me in the jaw.
| didn't have time to say anything
but got across that lot after one of
the stormiest passages l had ever I'M
dertaken.
My jaw h.rt, but not half as bad
as my feelings did when the brute
came to a halt, and l looked up to
discover the entire neighborhood had
taken a holiday, and were gazing on
my labors with grins denoting SUI
preme contentment. Some of them
were chewing peanuts.
My instructor whispered words of
encouragement and told me I did fine.
l believe | did. l had cut a pretty
crooked ditch across the place and felt
quite proud, until my wife came up
with alteration in her eyes, and told
me to quit making a fool of myself.
That hurt my feelings again, and
after the gear had been turned in the
direction from whence it had original
ly started, | refused to take charge
of the helm until the audience had
dispersed. Most of them looked dis
appointed but | was firm, and having
anchored the steed retired to the
house until l could again undertake
the work | had started without m
barassment.
An hour passed, an hour in which
/ had received advice enough from
my better half to last a lifetime. She
knew all about horses if didn't, at
least that is the impression she gave
me, and with courage once again in
my heart | walked down the lot, tax
ing a good sized stick with me, and
prepared for the home trip.
Not wishing a repetition of my pre-
vious invitation to "get up" l seized
the lines, gave that horse a thunder
ing whack, and was Immediately sur
prised at the result.
There was an apple tree two points
to starboard, but the head way that
animal put IN was too great, and de-
spite my utmost endeavor the helm
again failed to work. A crash of
rending timbers rent the air. |
thought l heard a siren blow, but it
was only my wife screaming. and |
looked up to find that horse had his
port leg firmly in the lower branches.
only his hind feet on the ground
couldn't make use of them, that is,
just at that moment.
| called to my wife to bring an
axe, but she returned with a shovel,
and more precious moments were be-
ing wasted in telling her | wanted to
cut the tree down, not dig it up. Fin
ally telling her not to interfere with
the machinery | ran to the barn and
brought back an axe that had once
seen better days.
Having cleared the gear that at
tached the horse to the pillow, l pro-
ceeded with Herculean efforts to cut
down that tree, narrowly missing
more than once, cutting down the
horse. At length my efforts were re-
warded. Slowly the tree bent over,
and in a short time that nag was re-
leased.
Then | made an objectionable mis-
take. l bent over to examine the ex-
tent of damage that tree had suffer
ed. The horse in the meanwhile
swinging stern to. Again a siren
sounded Git was my wife), but the
warning came too late. Something
struck me, not exactly on the back
bone, but remarkably near it. 1t felt
like a cross between a submarine at
tack and a cyclone.
Loving hands carried me to the
house. Who they belonged to I have
never learned.
When | came to my wife was ten
derby nursing me. l opened my eyes,
and gazed into hers with an express
sion of exquisite pain.
Honey dear" she said, "Do you
think you can sit up?"
If she had known how badly l was
hurt she would never have asked that
question, so not feeling like an argu-
ment just then, l closed them again,
but wen in my sleep that beast was
still with me, no longer a horse but a
nightmare.
There is an old superstition about a
horse shoe being lucky. No doubt
they are if kept in the right place.
Even now when I think of that day,
and the anguish it caused me, there
are times when | hesitate about sit
ting down, but he who hesitates is
lost. so with your kind permission I
will nee again seek the comforts of
my chair, and despite the sinking of
the heart, sit down.
May 9, 1917.