CHAPTER EIGHT 



REARING FAMILY AND WORK HORSES 



WHEN my family generously decided to give 

 me a horse as a collective Christmas present, 

 fate, or whatever the odd destiny was which 

 seems to have controlled our doings, ordained 

 that a land agent, who lived on a farm, and 

 kept a fast road horse to take him to and from 

 his office in the suburban town twelve miles 

 away, should die suddenly, his wife decided to 

 move into town, and offered the horse, trap, and 

 complete outfit for sale, at such a reasonable 

 price, that it tempted my folks to the ap- 

 parent extravagance of buying a real driving 

 horse, instead of the all-round useful animal, 

 suitable to our establishment at that tune. 



That they had qualms, I am sure ; for, in the 

 midst of my delighted raptures, after I found 

 Dolly on Christmas morning (the whole affair 



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