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Iwassoldtoacorndealerandbaker,whomJerryknew,andwithhimhethoughtIshouldhavegoodfoodandfairwork.
Inthefirsthewasquiteright,andifmymasterhadalwaysbeenonthepremisesIdonotthinkIshouldhavebeenoverloaded,buttherewasaforemanwhowasalwayshurryinganddrivingeveryone,andfrequentlywhenIhadquiteafullloadhewouldordersomethingelsetobetakenon.
Mycarter,whosenamewasJakes,oftensaiditwasmorethanIoughttotake,buttheotheralwaysoverruledhim."
'Twasnousegoingtwicewhenoncewoulddo,andhechosetogetbusinessforward."
Jakes,liketheothercarters,alwayshadthecheck-reinup,whichpreventedmefromdrawingeasily,andbythetimeIhadbeentherethreeorfourmonthsIfoundtheworktellingverymuchonmystrength.
OnedayIwasloadedmorethanusual,andpartoftheroadwasasteepuphill.
Iusedallmystrength,butIcouldnotgeton,andwasobligedcontinuallytostop.
Thisdidnotpleasemydriver,andhelaidhiswhiponbadly.
"Geton,youlazyfellow,"hesaid,"orI'llmakeyou."
AgainIstartedtheheavyload,andstruggledonafewyards;againthewhipcamedown,andagainIstruggledforward.
Thepainofthatgreatcartwhipwassharp,butmymindwashurtquiteasmuchasmypoorsides.
TobepunishedandabusedwhenIwasdoingmyverybestwassohardittooktheheartoutofme.
Athirdtimehewasfloggingmecruelly,whenaladysteppedquicklyuptohim,andsaidinasweet,earnestvoice:
"Oh!praydonotwhipyourgoodhorseanymore;Iamsureheisdoingallhecan,andtheroadisverysteep;Iamsureheisdoinghisbest."
"Ifdoinghisbestwon'tgetthisloaduphemustdosomethingmorethanhisbest;that'sallIknow,ma'am,"saidJakes.
"Butisitnotaheavyload?"shesaid.
"Yes,yes,tooheavy,"hesaid;"butthat'snotmyfault;theforemancamejustaswewerestarting,andwouldhavethreehundredweightmoreputontosavehimtrouble,andImustgetonwithitaswellasIcan."
Hewasraisingthewhipagain,whentheladysaid:
"Pray,stop;IthinkIcanhelpyouifyouwillletme."
Themanlaughed.
"Yousee,"shesaid,"youdonotgivehimafairchance;hecannotuseallhispowerwithhisheadheldbackasitiswiththatcheck-rein;ifyouwouldtakeitoffIamsurehewoulddobetter—dotryit,"shesaidpersuasively,"Ishouldbeverygladifyouwould."
"Well,well,"saidJakes,withashortlaugh,"anythingtopleasealady,ofcourse.Howfarwouldyouwishitdown,ma'am?"
"Quitedown,givehimhisheadaltogether."
Thereinwastakenoff,andinamomentIputmyheaddowntomyveryknees.Whatacomfortitwas!ThenItosseditupanddownseveraltimestogettheachingstiffnessoutofmyneck.
"Poorfellow!thatiswhatyouwanted,"saidshe,pattingandstrokingmewithhergentlehand;"andnowifyouwillspeakkindlytohimandleadhimonIbelievehewillbeabletodobetter."
Jakestooktherein."Comeon,Blackie."
Iputdownmyhead,andthrewmywholeweightagainstthecollar;Isparednostrength;theloadmovedon,andIpulleditsteadilyupthehill,andthenstoppedtotakebreath.
Theladyhadwalkedalongthefootpath,andnowcameacrossintotheroad.Shestrokedandpattedmyneck,asIhadnotbeenpattedformanyalongday.
"Youseehewasquitewillingwhenyougavehimthechance;Iamsureheisafine-temperedcreature,andIdaresayhasknownbetterdays.
Youwon'tputthatreinonagain,willyou?"
forhewasjustgoingtohitchitupontheoldplan.
"Well,ma'am,Ican'tdenythathavinghisheadhashelpedhimupthehill,andI'llrememberitanothertime,andthankyou,ma'am;butifhewentwithoutacheck-reinIshouldbethelaughing-stockofallthecarters;itisthefashion,yousee."
"Isitnotbetter,"shesaid,"toleadagoodfashionthantofollowabadone?
Agreatmanygentlemendonotusecheck-reinsnow;ourcarriagehorseshavenotwornthemforfifteenyears,andworkwithmuchlessfatiguethanthosewhohavethem;besides,"sheaddedinaveryseriousvoice,"wehavenorighttodistressanyofGod'screatureswithoutaverygoodreason;wecallthemdumbanimals,andsotheyare,fortheycannottellushowtheyfeel,buttheydonotsufferlessbecausetheyhavenowords.
ButImustnotdetainyounow;Ithankyoufortryingmyplanwithyourgoodhorse,andIamsureyouwillfinditfarbetterthanthewhip.
Good-day,"andwithanothersoftpatonmyneckshesteppedlightlyacrossthepath,andIsawhernomore.
"Thatwasareallady,I'llbeboundforit,"saidJakestohimself;"shespokejustaspoliteasifIwasagentleman,andI'lltryherplan,uphill,atanyrate;"andImustdohimthejusticetosaythatheletmyreinoutseveralholes,andgoinguphillafterthat,healwaysgavememyhead;buttheheavyloadswenton.
Goodfeedandfairrestwillkeepupone'sstrengthunderfullwork,butnohorsecanstandagainstoverloading;andIwasgettingsothoroughlypulleddownfromthiscausethatayoungerhorsewasboughtinmyplace.
ImayaswellmentionherewhatIsufferedatthistimefromanothercause.
Ihadheardhorsesspeakofit,buthadnevermyselfhadexperienceoftheevil;thiswasabadly-lightedstable;therewasonlyoneverysmallwindowattheend,andtheconsequencewasthatthestallswerealmostdark.
Besidesthedepressingeffectthishadonmyspirits,itverymuchweakenedmysight,andwhenIwassuddenlybroughtoutofthedarknessintotheglareofdaylightitwasverypainfultomyeyes.
SeveraltimesIstumbledoverthethreshold,andcouldscarcelyseewhereIwasgoing.
Ibelieve,hadIstayedthereverylong,Ishouldhavebecomepurblind,andthatwouldhavebeenagreatmisfortune,forIhaveheardmensaythatastone-blindhorsewassafertodrivethanonewhichhadimperfectsight,asitgenerallymakesthemverytimid.
However,Iescapedwithoutanypermanentinjurytomysight,andwassoldtoalargecabowner.
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