Year: 1877

From the Atlantic Monthly.l


L have a horse who is now not less
than Al years old, and it is possible that
he is year or two older for thirty
eight years ago he was broken to use.
| he Is at present Oh the retired list, only
occasionally being called upon to lend
a helping shoulder to his younger col
| league but his intellect is as fresh ard
! as full Of expedients rs ever. No horse
/ ever knew better how to save himself, to
spare effort and prolong his powers no
one was ever so cunning to slip his hal
! ter, open the feed box and supply the
| phosphates, the necessity Of which to
+! him he knew as well as any 'sscientist. .
l have seen him, through a crack in a
| board shanty, used while the stable was
! building, lift and lay aside with his teeth
six boxes which were piled atop Of ole
! another, until he found the oats at the
bottom. Then, when my head appeared
at the window, he instantly gave up his
leisurely, luxurious munching of the
grain, opened his jaws to their fullest
extent, thrust his muzzle deep into the
box, and gravely walked back to his stall
with at least quart of oats in his mouth
This horse had a playful habit of snap
ping at my arm when he WAS harnessed
for rive. Il always talk to horse
| before starting, as matter of common
,1OlitapoSS OF oo11rc, T naxar Eipoba6
and his teeth often grazed my sleeve as
he struck them together. One day, more
than q dozen years ago, he WAS in rather
reckless spirits, and snapped little too
vigorously, catching my arm actually iii
his jaws. I scarcely felt the bite, but I
was very much surprised. The horse,
however, showed such unmistakable
signs of regret and distress that I simply
said, "Never 90 that again !" And he
never did From that moment he gave
up the habit Of years he laid back his
ears OF feigned anger i'll other ways, bat
he never again made believe to bite
This, certainly, goes far beyond the





injury which may be referred to an ami
malls affection. What else is conscience
than knowledge OF wrong made perma-
nent by a memory which forbi6s the re
petition of the wrong? The same horse
once revealed to me the latter quality iii
surprising way. On telling the story
privately, [ find that it is sometimes in
credulousiy received yet am sure that
no one who cherishes the proper respect
for animals will refuse it credeuce. In
the company CT friend 7 was driving
along d country road in light open
buggy. I paid no attention to the horse.
for he could turn, back, or execute any
other maneayer in harness as well with
ont as with driver. ualting at a house
where my friend wished TO call, waited
for him ontside. Presently the horse
looked back at me, twisting his body be
tween the thiils iii singular fashion.
[ perceived that he had some communi-
cation to make, and said, ''What is the
matter now, Ben 2" Thereupon, by
twisting little more, he managed to
hold up his right hind foot, and ] saw
that the shoe had been lost. ''That's
right" said ''you shall have new
shoe as soon as we get TO the village
He set down his foot and for moment
seemed satisfied. Then the same turn
ing of the head and twisting of the body
were repeated. ''What, Ben is any
thing else the matter % [ asked. He
now lifted up the left hind foot, which
was still slod. ! was Gnite at loss to
understand him, and remained silent.
He looked back at NE out Of the corner
of his eye, and evidently saw that was
puzzled, wherenpon lie sat down his
foot and seemed to think Almost I'M
mediately he lifted il up and shook it
vigorously. The loose shoe rattled-
There was a positive process of reason
ing in this act, and it is too simple and
clear to be interpreted in any other way.


Er---.r~---s----s----.


MINERAL Wool is we'll known
that at nearly all blast furnaces the Gin