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Show THE CABMAN'S HORSE. Some people think that cabmen are all course, rough men, who are; qlways. beating and ill-using their horses, but I have found many of them quite different, and 1 like to have a quiet chat with them. Some little while ago, whilst a cabman was waiting at my door, L saw him fumb'e in his pocket, and at length get out a paper of sweetmeats such as little folks know by the name of "all-sorts." There were pieces of almond-rock, hard-bake, barley sugar, and various other things; he selected a cou ple of almond drops, and, placing them on the palm of bis hand, held them out to his horse, saying: "Xow, Jerry, my boy. here's a treat for you!" Jerry pointed up his ears, gave a gentle snort, and whipped up the sweets in no time, then rubbed his beautiful sleek face against the cabman's shoulder, shoul-der, just as if to say, "What" a kind old fellow you are,!" "That's the sort of whipping I give my horse, sir," said the cabby to, me. "He knows if he goes well he gets his 'all-sorts'; and when I think he is just beginning to flag, I only put my hand in my pocket and rustic the paper; the sound freshens him up, and he is off like a shot." But now 1 will tell you how some little folks taught their father to be kind to his horse, and how, through this, he was led to observe the Sabbath Sab-bath day. 1 was starting on my holiday trip, and, as usual, preferred riding on the box with the driver to being shut up inside the cab. There was not much room to spare, for what with trunks, grips, umbrellas, fishing rods, baskets and bundles, the cab was pretty pret-ty well full inside and out. The moment we started, and I told the cabman "Union station," I noticed how very nicely the horse trotted along, and 1 said, "That seems a very-good very-good horse you have." "Aye, it is so," said the driver. "He was worth a deal of money once. He belonged to a gentleman,-but gentleman,-but a friend tc whom he lent him rode him very carelessly, and he fell on his knees and injured them. I bought him for a tenth of his real value; but now he is getting quite strong a,gain, and can do any amount, of work." "You don't seem to use a whip to him,' said I. "Lor' bless you, sir!" replied the man; "why, the last time I saw my old whip, my children wero playing horses, and hitting each other with it. There was only about half of the stick left, and no thong at all, so they had tied on a piece of string instead. I couldn't use a whip to him for the life of me," continued-the cabman. "That horse, sir, has made a different man of me to what I was before. be-fore. Whv, it's all through him that I go to church."- - "What! All through the horse?" 1 asked in astonishment. "Why, how on earth did- he manage man-age it?" "Well." said the man, "I don't mean to say he did it all by himself, but it was he and my little folks together. You must know, sir, that when I first had him I used to take him out to work on Sundays. Once in awhile I got up early and went to Mass, but oftener than not. I. went to the stable for Browney. Well, one Sunday, instead of taking him to the stand, I thought I would give my wife anil children a treat, so I drove them all to the park. We took some bread, meat and fruit in a basket, and a very nice day we had for it, the horse being put up in a stable close, by. kAll of a sudden my Janey (that's the eldest girl, sir,) says to me, 'Father, wc are all better off than the horse.' , , ',-. " 'Well, I suppose we are, nly dear;' I said j 'but what makes you think of that just now?' "'.Why, father says she, 'you are not on the t wwwWii.H HLJim. ihwwJii ' U'" mu.in iini.an i wi.iiimiiiM'Ji'n.inu. iij,m.ii.mwi stand today, mother is not washing the clothes, and we are all resting and happy, and all because it is Sunday; but it makes no difference, to poor ; Browney; he worked up to 12 o'ohw-k la-t night, j and he has worked hard for us again today; he has no day of rest.' "If you'll believe me, sir. I never felt so queer in all my life. 1 began to explain to my little girl (and, sir. 1 was kissing her all th" whole) that a horse is a horse, only made to work for us; but I saw that she looked up in my face, and 1 knew that she' didn't believe a word I- said; and. what was more. I didn't believe it myself! "Well. sir. the next Saturday, when I came mv. to supper, my three little folks came up to me all i in a row. just for all the world like a little regi- ment of soldiers. There was Janey in the front. and Tommy behind her; and. actually, there was little Toity, who could just stand on his feet, lvld- j ing on by the tail of Tommy's pony; and. to finish the whole, there was Cappy. the dog. who never lets anything be done in the house without helping-he helping-he was running from one end of the troop to the other and back again, just as if to see that they kept in line properly. "I didn't wuow what to make of it. and 1 cried out: 'Hello, little folks, what's all ibis about C "'Why. father.' says Janey, 'please, we've all come to beg a very great favor; we want to ask you J to give poor Browney a whole holiday tomorrow.' j "I was going to answer her at once, but Janey seemed to have screwed her courage up on purpose, j and was determined to say her say: so she went on: j "'We had our holiday last, Sunday, and it is .his j turn this week; he has worked hard all tiie six days; i and, father, is it fair that he should never have a j rest, just because he is dumb and cannot tell us j how very very tired he is? So please, father, do give him a holiday.' "'Please, father, do," says Tommy. "'Do. do. do,' squeaked Totty, who seemed to think his little voice was very important in the matter; whilst old Cappy, hearing the hubbub, gave a lot of sharp barks, just as if to say, 'Hear, hear, hear!' "Well, sir, I saw there were tears in Juncy's and Tommy's eyes, and I felt, there was nothing else to do but to give them their way; so I promised, and there was joy in the house such as had never been seen before. "When the Sunday morning came we nil went to the stable to look at Browney. Thorv he stood, as proud as could be. and Janey said to him: 'Ah, Mr. Browney, no work for you today. Don't you know why? It's Sunday.' "When we got back into the house, my wife said to me: 'Father, why shouldn't we take all the little folks to church?' '"Don't know any reason against it, mother,' T said. "Well, they were dressed in a very short space of time, and off we all went; and that was the best I day's work I ever did. I never work my horse now ! on a Sunday. We go regularly to church, and I j feel better and happier than I ever did before. ! "It is very wonderful, sir. isn't it, what a deal of good kind little folks can do?" I quite agreed with hi in; don't you? Marigold, in Our Young People. |
