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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15. 



used to being driven in a buggy, just as soon as 

 . I gave him the word he started off on a long 

 "steady lope that takes one forward at a pi'etty 

 good ])ac(>, although the liorse does not seem to 

 be making much exertion. He kept this lope 

 up, without any urging, for seven or eight miles. 

 Then he began to lag a little. A little chirrup, 

 however, would start^ him up. and he would go 

 again almost as well as when he started. On 

 account of his infirmity it is not well to have 

 him get wet. But a cold thunderstorm was ap- 

 proaching from the north. In order to reach 

 shelter during the storm I huri'ied him, even 

 when he was pretty tired already. Then I no- 

 ticed that he began to show the sweat .just a 

 little; and to get him in out of the storm I used 

 .the whip a little — just touching him with the 

 end of the lash. He is so unused to the whip 

 that this startled him, and he puslied on until 

 he began to cough. Just as the big di'ops be- 

 gan to fall we reached the shed w(( were mak- 

 ing for. Then I got out and patted my hoi'se, 

 and began to get acquainted with him. 



"Good old fellow Jack, I really beg your par- 

 don for having used the whip a little on a horse 

 that never needs whipping. But I hope you 

 will recognize, as you hear the storm outside, 

 that I did it for your own good." 



He was panting, however, and coughing, and 

 it took him ten or fifteen minutes to fully re- 

 cover his breath, and to get entirely over being 

 urged beyond his strength. Then the cough 

 gradually abated; and when the rain had 

 ceased he started off with the same strength 

 and ambition that he showed when he first 

 came from the stable. As I drov(> out of the 

 shed I was ])lanning to myself that I should 

 boast to Mrs. Root that I did not get even a 

 spatter of mud on the cleanly washed buggy. 

 Before many miles, however, we had a repeti- 

 tion of the thunderstorm; and this time our 

 refuge was a covered bi'idge. We did not reach 

 it until the horse got pretty wet; and the north 

 wind blew through the bridge so as to make a 

 draft that I knew must be bad foi- the horse. 

 His coughing .increased, and I finally decided 

 that we must push ahead, i-egai'dless of the 

 rain, to a better shelter. Now. the point of this 

 little sketch is this: What a wicked and brutal 

 thing it would have been to whip this horse to 

 make him go ahead when his strength was ex- 

 hausted, and while he was doing the very best 

 the poor fellow could do! When urged the sec- 

 ond time, his infirmity showed woi'se than the 

 first, and I resolved to get a wai'm stable for 

 him, no matter what it might cost, and have 

 him well cared for and fed before he did any 

 more service. I said to him. as I got him out of 

 the rain. " Look here, old fellow; you are one 

 of the best horses I ever got acquainted with; 

 and you and I are going to be friends as long 

 as we live. If anybody ever ovei'tasks your 

 strength needlessly, or scolds you, or abuses 

 you, when I am around, if I car. not stop it 

 otherwise I am ready to fight for you." 



And now I want to tell you that w(^ often find 

 among horses, as well as among human beings, 

 a sort of nobility. As it was time for firecrack- 

 ers. Jack started a little several times, and 

 looked somewhat troubled when they came 

 around him pretty thickly. But when I as- 

 sured him it was all I'ight. and that they would 

 not do him any hai'm, Ik^ gave me a look as if 

 he were mentally wondering wh(!thei' his new 

 driver was thoroughly ])osted in all tlies(> mat- 

 ters, and knew wJiat he was saying. But when 

 I told him I /fjicic all about fiVeo'ackers— that 

 they were all right — hi' si-enied to take my word 

 for it, and we had no fiu'th(>.r trouble. 



During tlie Fourth (the next day) Jack and 1 

 had a chance to get pretty well acquainted 

 with firecrackei'S and fireworks. In fact, I 



drove him about twenty miles after sundown, 

 and before eleven o'clock; so we were passing 

 many "homes" during almost all that ride. 

 Aroiind the dooi'way at every home wei'e morr 

 or less juveniles celebrating the Foui'th of 

 July. Tiieirkind mammas had permitted them 

 to have a little fire out in the yard; and even 

 the little tots, not moi'e than two yeai'S old. 

 were "celebrating." The grown-up boys — yes, 

 some that were of age or more — generally help- 

 ed — that is, where they were not off with th* ir 

 girls. The Fourtli of July is a grand time to go 

 riding with your " best gii'l," you know. If you 

 don't know — why, you ought to (at least, in "my 

 opinion), providing you do not overdrive your 

 horse, or forget him. in your devotion to your 

 companion. I do not think I saw very many 

 horses overdriven, unless in one or two in- 

 stances, where the occupants were intoxicated. 

 There was not any girl in the crowd in these- 

 cases. Come to think of it. the young men with 

 theii' girls generally drove very slowly — so- 

 much so that Jack and I had to go past them, 

 and they were too busy to even think of turn- 

 ing out of the road. Sometimes the girl was 

 driving, and sometimes iwhitdy seemed to be 

 driving very much. Never mind. It is all 

 right, providing they get home in good season, 

 and remember that a solemn and sacred rcspon- 

 slhility rests upon the boys and gii'ls of our 

 land, even on the Fourth of July. Wi'll. faith- 

 ful Jack, during those two days, won such a 

 place in my affections that I mentally resolved 

 to tell Mrs. Root, when I got home, something 

 like this: 



"Look here. Sue. I have made a resolution 

 that, whenever Jack misbehaves in any way, I 

 will remember that he has a great big balance 

 to his credit, made up during this trip; thei'e- 

 fore he must not be scolded, nor. under any cir- 

 cumstances, whipped. You are to remind me 

 of this agreement, or covenant, if that is tlie 

 right word to use, between myself and this 

 horse." 



By the way, friends, wouldn't it be an excel- 

 lent idea to foofc for oppoi'tunities of laying np 

 a balance of credit on the good side of every- 

 bddy, to be brought out and held up to over- 

 balance the time when they are bad '? My dear 

 friend, have you not yet discovered that every 

 human b<Mng on the face of the eaHli will, 

 sooner or later, act bad in some way? and if 

 horses should do as badly as we "humans" do. 

 would it be any thing to be wondered at? Sure 

 enough, my good friend Jack acted badly before 

 we got home— at least, it seemed to me that he 

 did at the time, and I came pretty near forget- 

 ting my good resolution. Long before we 

 reached Medina, away off over the hills I saw 

 the fireworks — rockets innumerable, and occa-* 

 sionally a balloon. When we were within per- 

 haps a quarter of a mile of the town, Jack. too. 

 began to notice, with his horse sense, thnt 

 there was some unusual display in the heavens. 

 He had seen stars, of course, time and time 

 again, ever since he was a colt; but who ever 

 saw stars shoot up in that way, and then pop 

 to pieces with a boom, spreading sparks and 

 fireballs everywhere? He pricked up his ears, 

 anfl followed the rockets with his eyes, even 

 looking almost straight over his head. My 

 path led directly by the square where the fire- 

 works were being sent up. At first I thought 

 Jack was steady enough to go right through 

 them all. As I ui'ged him forward he began to 

 tr<Mul)le, especially when a I'ocket fell pn'tty 

 near to him. Then he would turn his head 

 around and hwk at me inquiringly, evidently 

 anxious to know just what I proposed to do. 

 and perhaps feeling a little bit doubtful about 

 my own good sense and judgment. So 1 decided 

 to turn off one block' before we reached the 



