Volume III. 



RECREATION. 



SEPTEMBER, J895. 



G. O. SHIELDS (COQUINA), Editor and Manager. 



Number 3. 



Ihe American News Co., Agents for the U. S. and Canada. The International News Co General 

 Agents for Europe. Offices: Beams Buildings. Chancery Lane, London. E. C , Eng- 

 land; Stephanstrasse 18, Leipzig. Germany. 



BILLY-BOY AND BELLE. 



A DISCORD AND A HARMONY. 



Katharine M. Baxter. 



HE has 

 lovely 

 bro w n 

 eyes, and his 

 auburn hair, in 

 the sunglints, 

 looks like bur- 

 nished copper. 

 He has a stur- 

 dy, compact 

 frame, is calm- 

 ly deliberate, 

 and carries 

 himself right 

 royally with 

 his head in the 

 clouds. But in 

 spite of the 

 docility expressed in his soft eye, 

 he is headstrong and likes to pit his 

 will-power against mine; conse- 

 quently, there is an unending contest 

 for mastery between Billy-boy and 

 me. 



My saddle-horse is of Morgan 

 stock, Kentucky -bred, has all the 

 gaits, can take a low fence or ditch, 

 and, best of all, possesses unlimited 

 physical endurance. His gaits are so 

 easy that a fox-trot on the pavement 

 or a canter on a country dirt road are 

 joys forever, after I have conquered 

 him for the day, for he sometimes 

 starts out with the fixed purpose of 

 returning at the least excuse. On 

 such occasions I let him turn back, 

 but start him again, repeating it 

 forth and back until he is ready to 

 advance. This I refuse to allow, and 

 after punishing him with a few more 

 such rehearsals he is completely 



subjected and ready to do my bid- 

 ding. Of course this is only when 

 riding unattended in the country. 



One morning while summering at 



N I started out for one of these 



country rides. The place was new 

 to us and Billy-boy decided for both 

 that we would not investigate its 

 roads that day. I disliked to have 

 the villagers make his acquaintance 

 by putting him through his paces for 

 the usual length of time, and lor me 

 to yield would be foil}'. 1 quite lost 

 my patience with this firm friend. 

 My riding whip ? He has 1 1 * > more 

 respect for it than for a troublesome 

 fly. His former owner had ridden 

 him with spurs, as does also my hus- 

 band. It was therefore that C. had 

 had a small wheel-spur inserted in 

 the end of my crop-stick. Even this 

 was inadequate. 1 could merely roll 

 it up and down his side without force 

 or impression. Chagrined, but not 

 baffled, I dismounted, and hurrying 

 indoors soon had one of my husban< 's 

 spurs adjusted on my stirrup-toot. 



A young friend, coming out t<> 

 mount his wheel, suggested ' Mr-. 

 B., perhaps he'll follow me." 



" Yes," 1 nodded, " I'm sure he will, 

 else my spur will follow him." 



Philip T— , Jr., riding ahead, fre- 

 quently called, " Come on, Hilly-boy," 

 and Billy-boy went; the spur was su- 

 perfluous. 



The pretty village gardens were 

 soon left behind besprinkled with 

 our dust. The day was not a perfect 

 one; the atmosphere, hazy and sti- 

 fling, suggested northern foresl fires. 



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