Word Study.

HELPS TO STUDY

ser'vice a ble giving service.

fos'sil remains, bones of ancient animals dug from the earth. splint'-like like a splinter.

rad'i cal

extreme.

chiv'al ry the practices of an order of knights, or mounted

warriors, of the middle ages, now meaning gallantry.

tour'na ment

contest with lances by mounted men.

Notes and Questions.

horse.

Tell the story of the evolution of the

Name and describe the breeds of horses which are common in America. Which are represented in your community? Describe in detail the care and feeding necessary to keep a horse in perfect condition.

The horse he is noble, and valiant, and strong,
And looks all on fire as he gallops along;
Or patient and sturdy, he tugs at the load,

At the blow of the whip, or the prick of the goad,
When he lugs at the wagon, and pants up the hill,
With the all of his strength, and the all of his will.
And at the last gasp will he tug and strain on,
Till strength, and not ardor, is perished and gone;
Devoted to man, thus he gives up his breath,
And noble in life - he is noble in death!

- PETER PARLEY.

The first place I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge at one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside. At the top of the meadow was a grove of fir trees, and at the bottom a running brook overhung by a steep bank.

In the daytime I ran by my mother's side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was hot, we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold, we had a nice warm shed near the grove.

As soon as I was old enough to eat grass my mother used to go out to work in the daytime, and come back in the evening.

There were six young colts in the meadow besides me; they were older than I; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. I used to run about with them, and have great fun; we used to gallop all together round and round the field as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop.

One day when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and said:

"I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and of course they have not learned manners. You have been well bred and well born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won a cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me bite or kick. I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick, even in play."

I have never forgotten my mother's advice. I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her.

Our master was a good kind man. He gave us good

food, good lodging, and kind words. He spoke as gently to us as he did to his little children. We were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate, she would neigh with joy and trot up to him.

He would pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, how is your little Darkie?" I was a dull black, so they

HE WOULD HAVE WHAT HE CALLED FUN WITH THE COLTS

called me Darkie. Then he would give me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we were his favorites.

There was a plowboy Dick, who sometimes came into our field to pluck blackberries from the hedge. When he had eaten all he wanted, he would have what he called "fun" with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at them

to make them gallop. We did not much mind him, for we could gallop off; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt us.

One day he was at this game and did not know that the master was in the next field; but he was there, watching what was going on. Over the hedge he jumped, and catching Dick by the arm he gave him such a box on the ear as made him roar with pain and surprise. As soon as we saw the master, we trotted up.nearer to see what went on.

"Bad boy!" he said, "bad boy! to chase the colts. This is not the first time, nor the second, but it shall be the last. There take your money and go home; I shall not want you on my farm again." So we never saw Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was as gentle as our master, so we were well off.

I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had become fine and soft, and was a bright black. I had one white foot, and a pretty white star on my forehead. I was thought very handsome. My master would not sell me until I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up.

When I was four years old, Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined my eyes, my mouth, and my legs, and then I had to walk and trot and gallop before him. He seemed to like me, and said, "When he has been well broken in, he will do very well." My master said he would break me in himself as he would not like me to be frightened or hurt; and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began.