[Illustration: 9268]
AL, now, this 'ere does beat all! I wouldn't 'a' thought it o' the
deacon.
So spoke Sam Lawson, drooping in a discouraged, contemplative attitude
in front of an equally discouraged looking horse, that had just been
brought to him by the Widow Simpkins for medical treatment. Among Sam's
many accomplishments he was reckoned in the neighborhood an oracle in
all matters of this kind, especially by women, whose helplessness in
meeting such emergencies found unfailing solace under his compassionate
willingness to attend to any business that did not strictly belong to
him, and from which no pecuniary return was to be expected.
The Widow Simpkins had bought this horse of Deacon Atkins, apparently
a fairly well-appointed brute, and capable as he was good-looking. A
short, easy drive, when the deacon held the reins, had shown off his
points to advantage; and the widow's small stock of ready savings had
come forth freely in payment for what she thought was a bargain. When,
soon after coming into possession, she discovered that her horse, if
driven with any haste, panted in a fearful manner, and that he appeared
to be growing lame, she waxed wroth, and went to the deacon in anger, to
be met only with the smooth reminder that the animal was all right when
she took him; that she had seen him tried herself. The widow was of a
nature somewhat spicy, and expressed herself warmly: “It's a cheat and a
shame, and I 'll take the law on ye!”
“What law will you take?” said the unmoved deacon. “Wasn't it a fair
bargain?”
“I 'll take the law of God,” said the widow with impotent indignation;
and she departed to pour her cares and trials into the ever ready ear of
Sam. Having assumed the care of the animal, he now sat contemplating it
in a sort of trance of melancholy reflection.
“Why, boys!” he broke out, “why didn't she come to me afore she bought
this crittur? Why, I knew all about him! That 'are crittur was jest
ruined a year ago last summer, when Tom, the deacon's boy there, come
home from college. Tom driv him over to Sherburn and back that 'are hot
Fourth of July. 'Member it, 'cause I saw the crittur when he come home.
I sot up with Tom takin' care of him all night. That 'are crittur had
the thumps all night, and he hain't never been good for nothin' since.
I telled the deacon he was a gone hoss then, and wouldn't never be
good for nothin'. The deacon, he took off his shoes, and let him run to
pastur' all summer, and he's ben a-feedin' and nussin' on him up; and
now he's put him off on the widder. I wouldn't 'a' thought it o' the
deacon! Why, this hoss 'll never be no good to her! That 'are's a used-up
crittur, any fool may see! He 'll mabbe do for about a quarter of an hour
on a smooth road; but come to drive him as a body wants to drive, why,
he blows like my bellowsis; and the deacon knew it--must 'a' known it!”
“Why, Sam!” we exclaimed, “ain't the deacon a good man?”
“Wal, now, there's where the shoe pinches! In a gin'al way the deacon
_is_ a good man--he's con-sid'able more than middlin' good: gin'ally
he adorns his perfession. On most p'ints I don't hev nothin' agin the
deacon; and this 'ere ain't a bit like him. But there 'tis! Come to
hosses, there's where the unsanctified natur' comes out. Folks will
cheat about hosses when they won't about 'most nothin' else.” And Sam
leaned back on his cold forge, now empty of coal, and seemed to deliver
himself to a mournful train of general reflection. “Yes, hosses does
seem to be sort o' unregenerate critturs,” he broke out: “there's
suthin' about hosses that deceives the very elect. The best o' folks
gets tripped up when they come to deal in hosses.”
“Why, Sam, is there any thing bad in horses?” we interjected timidly.
“'Tain't the hosses, boys,” said Sam with solemnity. “Lordy massy! the
hosses is all right enough! Hosses is scriptural animals. Elijah went up
to heaven in a chari't with hosses; and then all them lots o' hosses in
the Ravelations,--black and white and red, and all sorts o' colors. That
'are shows hosses goes to heaven; but it's more'n the folks that hev 'em
is likely to, ef they don't look out.
“Ministers, now,” continued Sam in a soliloquizing vein--“folks allers
thinks it's suthin' sort o' shaky in a minister to hev much to do with
hosses,--sure to get 'em into trouble. There was old Parson Williams
of North Billriky got into a drefful mess about a hoss. Lordy massy! he
warn't to blame, neither; but he got into the dreffulest scrape you ever
heard on--come nigh to unsettlin' him.”
“O Sam! tell us all about it,” we boys shouted, delighted with the
prospect of a story.
“Wal, wait now till I get off this crittur's shoes, and we 'll take him
up to pastur', and then we can kind o' set by the river, and fish. Hepsy
wanted a mess o' fish for supper, and I was cal'latin' to git some for
her. You boys go and be digging bait, and git yer lines.”
And so, as we were sitting tranquilly beside the Charles River, watching
our lines, Sam's narrative began:--
“Ye see, boys, Parson Williams--he's dead now, but when I was a boy he
was one of the gret men round here. He writ books. He writ a tract
agin the Armenians, and put 'em down; and he writ a big book on the
millennium (I've got that 'are book now); and he was a smart preacher.
Folks said he had invitations to settle in Boston, and there ain't no
doubt he might 'a' hed a Boston parish ef he'd 'a' ben a mind ter
take it; but he'd got a good settlement and a handsome farm in North
Billriky, and didn't care to move: thought, I s'pose, that 'twas better
to be number one in a little place than number two in a big un. Anyway,
he carried all before him where he was.
“Parson Williams was a tall, straight, personable man; come of good
family--father and grand'ther before him all ministers. He was putty up
and down, and commandin' in his ways, and things had to go putty much
as he said. He was a good deal sot by, Parson Williams was, and his wife
was a Derby,--one o' them rich Salem Derbys,--and brought him a lot
o' money; and so they lived putty easy and comfortable so fur as this
world's goods goes. Well, now, the parson wan't reely what you call
worldly-minded; but then he was one o' them folks that _knows what's
good_ in temporals as well as sperituals, and allers liked to hev the
best that there was goin'; and he allers had an eye to a good boss.
“Now, there was Parson Adams and Parson Scranton, and most of the other
ministers: they didn't know and didn't care what hoss they hed; jest
jogged round with these 'ere poundin', potbellied, sleepy critturs
that ministers mostly hes,--good enough to crawl round to funerals and
ministers' meetin's and associations and sich; but Parson Williams, he
allers would hev a hoss as was a hoss. He looked out for _blood_;
and, when these 'ere Vermont fellers would come down with a drove, the
parson, he hed his eyes open, and knew what was what. Couldn't none of
'em cheat him on hoss flesh. And so one time when Zach Buel was down
with a drove, the doctor, he bought the best hoss in the lot. Zach said
he never see a parson afore that he couldn't cheat; but he said the
doctor reely knew as much as he did, and got the very one he'd meant to
'a' kept for himself.
“This 'ere hoss was a peeler, I 'll tell you! They'd called him
Tamerlane, from some heathen feller or other: the boys called him Tam,
for short. Tam was a gret character. All the fellers for miles round
knew the doctor's Tam, and used to come clear over from the other
parishes to see him.
“Wal, this 'ere sot up Cuff's back high, I tell you! Cuff was the
doctor's nigger man, and he was nat 'lly a drefful proud crittur. The way
he would swell and strut and brag about the doctor and his folks and
his things! The doctor used to give Cuff his cast-off clothes; and Cuff
would prance round in 'em, and seem to think he was a doctor of divinity
himself, and had the charge of all natur'.
“Well, Cuff he reely made an idol o' that 'are hoss,--a reg'lar graven
image, and bowed down and worshipped him. He didn't think nothin' was
too good for him. He washed and brushed and curried him, and rubbed
him down till he shone like a lady's satin dress; and he took pride
in ridin' and drivin' him, 'cause it was what the doctor wouldn't let
nobody else do but himself. You see, Tam warn't no lady's hoss. Miss
Williams was 'fraid as death of him; and the parson, he hed to git her a
sort o' low-sperited crittur that she could drive herself. But he liked
to drive Tam; and he liked to go round the country on his back, and a
fine figure of a man he was on him too. He didn't let nobody else back
him, or handle the reins, but Cuff; and Cuff was drefful set up about
it, and he swelled and bragged about that ar boss all round the country.
Nobody couldn't put in a word 'bout any other hoss, without Cuff's
feathers would be all up, stiff as a tom-turkey's tail; and that's how
Cuff got the doctor into trouble.
“Ye see, there nat 'lly was others that thought they'd got horses, and
didn't want to be crowed over. There was Bill Atkins out to the west
parish, and Ike Sanders, that kep' a stable up to Pequot Holler: they
was down a-lookin' at the parson's hoss, and a-bettin' on their'n, and
a-darin' Cuff to race with 'em.
“Wal, Cuff, he couldn't stan' it, and, when the doctor's back was
turned, he'd be off on the sly, and they'd hev their race; and Tam, he
beat 'em all. Tam, ye see, boys, was a hoss that couldn't and wouldn't
hev a hoss ahead of him--he jest _wouldn't!_ Ef he dropped down dead in
his tracks the next minit, he _would_ be ahead; and he allers got ahead.
And so his name got up, and fellers kep' comin' to try their horses;
and Cuff'd take Tam out to race with fust one and then another till this
'ere got to be a reg'lar thing, and begun to be talked about.
“Folks sort o' wondered if the doctor knew; but Cuff was sly as a
weasel, and allers had a story ready for every turn. Cuff was one of
them fellers that could talk a bird off a bush,--master hand he was to
slick things over!
“There was folks as said they believed the doctor was knowin' to it, and
that he felt a sort o' carnal pride sech as a minister oughtn't fer to
hev, and so shet his eyes to what was a-goin' on. Aunt Sally Nickerson
said she was sure on't.'Twas all talked over down to old Miss Bummiger's
funeral, and Aunt Sally, she said the church ought to look into't. But
everybody knew Aunt Sally: she was allers watchin' for folks' haltin's,
and settin' on herself up to jedge her neighbors.
“Wal, I never believed nothin' agin Parson Williams: it was all Cuff's
contrivances. But the fact was, the fellers all got their blood up, and
there was hoss-racin' in all the parishes; and it got so they'd even
race hosses a Sunday.
“Wal, of course they never got the doctor's hoss out a Sunday. Cuff
wouldn't 'a', durst to do that, Lordy massy, no! He was allers there
in church, settin' up in the doctor's clothes, rollin' up his eyes,
and lookin' as pious as ef he never thought o' racin' hosses. He was an
awful solemn-lookin' nigger in church, Cuff was.
“But there was a lot o' them fellers up to Pequot Holler--Bill Atkins,
and Ike Sanders, and Tom Peters, and them Hokum boys--used to go out
arter meetin' Sunday arternoon, and race hosses. Ye see, it was jest
close to the State-line, and, if the s'lectmen was to come down on 'em,
they could jest whip over the line, and they couldn't take 'em.
“Wal, it got to be a great scandal. The fellers talked about it up to
the tavern, and the deacons and the tithingman, they took it up and went
to Parson Williams about it; and the parson he told 'em jest to keep
still, not let the fellers know that they was bein' watched, and next
Sunday he and the tithingman and the constable, they'd ride over, and
catch 'em in the very act.
“So next Sunday arternoon Parson Williams and Deacon Popkins and Ben
Bradley (he was constable that year), they got on to their hosses, and
rode over to Pequot Holler. The doctor's blood was up, and he meant to
come down on 'em strong; for that was his way of doin' in his parish.
And they was in a sort o' day o'-jedgment frame o' mind, and jogged along
solemn as a hearse, till, come to rise the hill above the holler, they
see three or four fellers with their hosses gittin' ready to race; and
the parson says he, 'Let's come on quiet, and get behind these bushes,
and we 'll see what they're up to, and catch 'em in the act.'
“But the mischief on't was, that Ike Sanders see 'em comin', and he
knowed Tam in a minit,--Ike knowed Tam of old,--and he jest tipped the
wink to the rest. 'Wait, boys,' says he: 'let 'em git close up, and
then I 'll give the word, and the doctor's hoss will be racin' ahead like
thunder.'
“Wal, so the doctor and his folks, they drew up behind the bushes, and
stood there innocent as could be, and saw 'em gittin' ready to start.
Tam, he begun to snuffle and paw; but the doctor never mistrusted
what he was up to till Ike sung out, 'Go it, boys!' and the hosses all
started, when, sure as you live, boys! Tam give one fly, and was over
the bushes, and in among 'em, goin' it like chain-lightnin' ahead of 'em
all.
“Deacon Popkins and Ben Bradley jest stood and held their breath to see
em all goin' it so like thunder; and the doctor, he was took so sudden
it was all he could do to jest hold on anyway: so away he went, and
trees and bushes and fences streaked by him like ribbins. His hat flew
off behind him, and his wig arter, and got catched in a barberry-bush;
but Lordy massy! he couldn't stop to think o' them. He jest leaned down,
and caught Tam round the neck, and held on for dear life till they come
to the stopping-place.
“Wal, Tam was ahead of them all, sure enough, and was snorting and
snuffling as if he'd got the very old boy in him, and was up to racing
some more on the spot.
“That 'ere Ike Sanders was the impudentest feller that ever you see, and
he roared and rawhawed at the doctor. 'Good for you, parson!' says he.
'You beat us all holler,' says he. 'Takes a parson for that, don't it,
boys?' he said. And then he and Ike and Ton; and the two Hokum boys,
they jest roared, and danced round like wild critturs. Wal, now, only
think on't, boys, what a situation that 'are was for a minister,--a
man that had come out with the best of motives to put a stop to
sabbath-breakin' I There he was all rumpled up and dusty, and his wig
hangin' in the bushes, and these 'ere ungodly fellers gettin' the laugh
on him, and all acause o' that 'are hoss. There's times, boys, when
ministers must be tempted to swear if there ain't preventin' grace, and
this was one o' them times to Parson Williams. They say he got red in
the face, and looked as if he should bust, but he didn't say nothin': he
scorned to answer. The sons o' Zeruiah was too hard for him, and he let
'em hev their say. But when they'd got through, and Ben had brought him
his hat and wig, and brushed and settled him ag'in, the parson, he says,
'Well, boys, ye've had your say and your laugh; but I warn you now
I won't have this thing going on here any more,' says he: 'so mind
yourselves.'
“Wal, the boys see that the doctor's blood was up, and they rode off
pretty quiet; and I believe they never raced no more in that spot.
“But there ain't no tellin' the talk this 'ere thing made. Folks will
talk, you know; and there warn't a house in all Billriky, nor in the
south parish nor centre, where it warn't had over and discussed. There
was the deacon, and Ben Bradley was there, to witness and show jest how
the thing was, and that the doctor was jest in the way of his duty; but
folks said it made a great scandal; that a minister hadn't no business
to hev that kind o' hoss, and that he'd give the enemy occasion to speak
reproachfully. It reely did seem as if Tam's sins was imputed to the
doctor; and folks said he ought to sell Tam right away, and get a sober
minister's hoss.
“But others said it was Cuff that had got Tam into bad ways, and they
do say that Cuff had to catch it pretty lively when the doctor come to
settle with him. Cuff thought his time had come, sure enough, and was
so scairt that he turned blacker'n ever: he got enough to cure him o'
hoss-racin' for one while. But Cuff got over it arter a while, and so
did the doctor. Lordy massy! there ain't nothin' lasts forever! Wait
long enough, and 'most every thing blows over. So it turned out about the
doctor. There was a rumpus and a fuss, and folks talked and talked, and
advised; everybody had their say: but the doctor kep' right straight on,
and kep' his hoss all the same.
“The ministers, they took it up in the association; but, come to tell
the story, it sot 'em all a-laughin', so they couldn't be very hard on
the doctor.
“The doctor felt sort o' streaked at fust when they told the story on
him; he didn't jest like it: but he got used to it, and finally, when
he was twitted on't, he'd sort o' smile, and say, 'Anyway, Tam beat 'em:
that's one comfort.'”