"it's no use, i can't find a horse anywhere, for love or money. all are either sick or kept quiet to-day for fear of being sick. i declare i'd almost rather lose major than disappoint mother," said farmer jenks, coming in on sunday morning from a fruitless visit to his neighbors.
it was in the height of the horse distemper, and his own valuable beast stood in the stall, looking very interesting, with his legs in red flannel bandages, an old shawl round his neck, his body well covered by blankets, and a pensive expression in his fine eyes as he coughed and groaned distressfully.
you see it was particularly unfortunate to have major give out on sunday, for grandma had been to church, rain or shine, every sunday for twenty years, and it was the pride of her life to be able to say this. she was quite superstitious about it, and really felt as if her wonderful health and strength were given her as a reward for her unfailing devotion.
a sincerely pious and good old lady was grandma jenks, and her entry into the church always made a little sensation, for she was eighty-five years old, yet hale and hearty, with no affliction but lame feet. so every sunday, all the year round, her son or grandsons drove her down to service in the wide, low chaise, got expressly for her benefit, and all the week seemed brighter and better for the quiet hour spent in the big pew.
"if the steeple should fall, folks wouldn't miss it any more than they would old mrs. jenks from her corner," was a saying among the people, and grandma felt as if she was not only a public character, but a public example for all to follow, for another saying in the town was,—
"well, if old mrs. jenks can go to meeting, there's no excuse for our staying at home."
that pleased her, and so when the farmer came in with his bad news, she looked deeply disappointed, sat still a minute tapping her hymn-book, then took her two canes and got up, saying resolutely,—
"a merciful man is merciful to his beast, so i won't have poor major risk his life for me, but i shall walk."
a general outcry followed, for grandma was very lame, church a mile away, and the roads muddy after the rain.
"you can't do it mother, and you'll be sick for the winter if you try," cried mrs. jenks, in great trouble.
"no, dear; i guess the lord will give me strength, since i'm going to his house," answered the old lady, walking slowly to the door.
"blest if i wouldn't carry you myself if i only could, mother," exclaimed the farmer, helping her down the steps with filial gentleness.
here ned and charley, the boys, laughed, for grandma was very stout, and the idea of their father carrying her tickled them immensely.
"boys, i'm ashamed of you!" said their mother, frowning at them. but grandma laughed too, and said pleasantly,—
"i won't be a burden, moses; give me your arm and i'll step out as well as i can, and mebby some one may come along and give me a lift."
so the door was locked and the family set off. but it was hard work for the old lady, and soon she said she must sit down and rest a spell. as they stood waiting for her, all looking anxious, the boys suddenly had a bright idea, and, merely saying they had forgotten something, raced up the hill again.
"i'm afraid you won't be able to do it, mother," the farmer was just saying, when the sound of an approaching carriage made them all turn to look, hoping for a lift.
nearer and nearer drew the rattle, and round the corner came, not a horse's head, but two felt hats on two boys' heads, and charley and ned appeared, trotting briskly, with the chaise behind them.
"here's your team, grandma! jump in, and we'll get you to meeting in good time yet," cried the lads, smiling and panting as they drew up close to the stone where the old lady sat.
"boys, boys, it's sunday, and we can't have any jokes or nonsense now," began mrs. jenks, looking much scandalized.
"well, i don't know, wife. it's a new thing, i allow, but considering the fix we are in, i'm not sure it isn't a good plan. what do you think, mother?" asked the farmer, laughing, yet well pleased at the energy and good-will of his lads.
"if the boys behave themselves, and do it as a duty, not a frolic, and don't upset me, i reckon i'll let 'em try, for i don't believe i can get there any other way," said grandma.
"you hoped the lord would give you strength, and so he has, in this form. use it, mother, and thank him for it, since the children love you so well they would run their legs off to serve you," said the farmer, soberly, as he helped the old lady in and folded the robes round her feet.
"steady, boys, no pranks, and stop behind the sheds. i can lend mother an arm there, and she can walk across the green. this turn-out is all very well, but we won't make a show of it."
away went the chaise rolling gently down the hill, and the new span trotted well together, while the old lady sat calmly inside, frequently saying,—
"don't pull too hard, ned. i'm afraid i'm very heavy for you to draw, charley. take it easy, dears; there's time enough, time enough."
"you'll never hear the last of this, moses; it will be a town joke for months to come," said mrs. jenks, as she and her husband walked briskly after the triumphal car.
"don't care if i do hear on't for a considerable spell. it's nothing to be ashamed of, and i guess you'll find that folks will agree with me, even if they do laugh," answered the farmer, stoutly; and he was right.
pausing behind the sheds, grandma was handed out, and the family went into church, a little late but quite decorously, and as if nothing funny had occurred. to be sure, ned and charley were very red and hot, and now and then stole looks at one another with a roguish twinkle of the eye; but a nudge from mother or a shake of the head from father kept them in good order, while dear old grandma couldn't do enough to show her gratitude. she passed a fan, she handed peppermints in her hymn-book, and when ned sneezed begged him to put her shawl over his shoulders.
after church the lads slipped away and harnessed themselves all ready for the homeward trip. but they had to wait, for grandma met some friends and stopped to "reminiss," as she called it, and her son did not hurry her, thinking it as well to have the coast clear before his new team appeared.
it was dull and cold behind the sheds, and the boys soon got impatient. their harness was rather intricate, and they did not want to take it off, so they stood chafing and grumbling at the delay.
"you are nearest, so just hand out that blanket and put it over me; i'm as cold as a stone," said ned, who was leader.
"i want it myself, if i've got to wait here much longer," grumbled charley, sitting on the whiffletree, with his legs curled up.
"you're a selfish pig! i'm sure i shall have the horse-cough to-morrow if you don't cover me up."
"now you know why father is so particular about making us cover major when we leave him standing. you never do it if you can help it, so how do you like it yourself?"
"whether i like it or not, i'll warm you when we get home, see if i don't, old fellow."
up came the elders and away went the ponies, but they had a hard tug of it this time. grandma was not a light weight, the road pretty steep in places, and the mud made heavy going. such a puffing and panting, heaving and hauling, was never heard or seen there before. the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel, and even mrs. jenks tucked up her black silk skirts, and gave an occasional tug at one shaft.
grandma bemoaned her cruelty, and begged to get out, but the lads wouldn't give up, so with frequent stoppages, some irrepressible laughter, and much persistent effort, the old lady was safely landed at the front door.
no sooner was she fairly down than she did what i fancy might have a good effect on four-legged steeds, if occasionally tried. she hugged both boys, patted and praised them, helped pull off their harness, and wiped their hot foreheads with her own best sunday handkerchief, then led them in and fed them well.
the lads were in high feather at the success of their exploit, and each showed it in a different way. charley laughed and talked about it, offered to trot grandma out any day, and rejoiced in the strength of his muscles, and his soundness in wind and limb.
but ned sat silently eating his dinner, and when some one asked him if he remembered the text of the sermon, he answered in grandma's words, "a merciful man is merciful to his beast."
"well, i don't care, that's the only text i remember, and i got a sermon out of it, any way," he said, when the rest laughed at him, and asked what he was thinking about.
"i seem to know now how major feels when we keep him waiting, when i don't blanket him, and when i expect him to pull his heart out, with no time to get his breath. i'm going to beg his pardon after dinner, and tell him all about it."
charley stopped laughing when sober ned said that, and he saw his father and mother nod to one another as if well pleased.
"i'll go too, and tell the old fellow that i mean to uncheck him going up hill, to scotch the wheels so he can rest, and be ever so good to him if he'll only get well."
"you might add that you mean to treat him like a horse and a brother, for you have turned pony yourself," said his father, when charley finished his virtuous remarks.
"and don't forget to pet him a good deal, my dears, for horses like to be loved, and praised, and thanked, as well as boys, and we can't do too much for the noble creatures who are so faithful and useful to us," said mrs. jenks, quite touched by the new state of feeling.
"it's my opinion that this sickness among the horses will do a deal of good, by showing folks the great value of the beasts they abuse and neglect. neighbor stone is fussing over his old whitey as if he was a child, and yet i've seen that poor brute unmercifully beaten, and kept half starved. i told stone that if he lost him it would be because kind treatment came too late; and stone never got mad, but went and poured vinegar over a hot brick under whitey's nose till he 'most sneezed his head off. stone has got a lesson this time, and so have some other folks."
as the farmer spoke, he glanced at the boys, who remorsefully recalled the wrongs poor major had suffered at their hands, not from cruelty, but thoughtlessness, and both resolved to treat him like a friend for evermore.
"well," said grandma, looking with tender pride at the ruddy faces on either side of her, "i'm thankful to say that i've never missed a sunday for twenty year, and i've been in all sorts of weather, and in all sorts of ways, even on an ox sled one time when the drifts were deep, but i never went better than to-day; so in this dish of tea i'm going to drink this toast: 'easy roads, light loads, and kind drivers to grandma's team.'"
