153 The Trotter. 



Queen's counsel she would have made), " I certainly had a curiosity 

 to see old Morgan Rattler, of whom I had heard so much j and Mr. 

 West having kindly asked me, I had taken the opportunity of the 

 fine weather to ride over this morning." 



Her manner was courteous enough, but rather chilling ; and no 

 wonder at it. I thought how that woman must detest the very 

 name of horses, and hate the sight of anybody connected with 

 them. She, however, asked me politely to walk in and wait for 

 Mr. West, and, taking her boy by the hand, led the way up to the 

 house. The poor child clung to his mother's side, apparently 

 frightened at the sight of a stranger. He, however, kept furtively 

 eyeing me, and seemed to regard my silver-mounted whip with 

 great curiosity. After a little coaxing, I put it into his hand for 

 him to look at. The bright gleam of satisfaction which shot from 

 his lustreless eye as he showed the coveted treasure to his mother 

 proved that the lamp of light even yet glimmered in that darkened 

 mind ; and I ventured to remark to her that there was still hope, 

 and that, in my opinion, the child would outgrow the malady. 



God knows, I spoke at random ; but even that random speech 

 shot a ray of comfort into the poor mother's blighted heart, and 

 that one simple action, and those hap-hazard words, placed me upon 

 a far better footing with that woman than the most sycophantic 

 compliments I could have paid her, or the most studied politeness 

 I could have shown towards herself would ever have done. How 

 true it is that the way to a mother's heart is through her child's ! 



The poor boy seemed to have taken a great fancy to my whip. 

 I happened to have an old repeating watch in my pocket not one 

 of the diminutive, waistcoat-pocket affairs now in fashion, but a 

 regular old-fashioned gold hunting watch, nearly as large as a small 

 turnip. I pulled it out to show the boy ; and when I rung the 

 chimes in his ear, his delight knew no bounds. From that minute 

 we were sworn friends, and I walked up the old stone steps with 

 the child's hand in mine, and his mother by his side, as though we 

 had all been on terms of intimacy for years. When we got in, 

 the lady apologized for leaving me, and, showing me into a long 



