1. Reading Lesson

[Mr. Jones, a minister who lives in Chicago, once had some money given him. He was to buy a horse with the money, so that he might take long rides during his summer vacations. In this lesson and one other you are to read part of the pleasant story he has told of the friendship between him and the little horse that came to him through this gift of friends.

What solemn weeks were those in which I went jockeying from stable to stable, from one auction sale to another; how attentive the dealers became, how ready they were to serve. At almost any hour of the day a saddle-horse might be seen in front of my study door, a horse sent round by some dealer, " thinking I might like him." Questions of color, size, and gait became absorbing ones. There were several which my judgment approved. But early in the quest a six-year-old mare, a little under-sized, but alert, clean-limbed, supple, and nervous, though of the gentle and cosseting kind, had captured my heart. I tried to choose some one of the other horses, because this one was too expensive, too spirited; in short, too much to my liking. From the first, though greatly excited to find herself in the noise of a great city, at the end of the alarming torture of a railroad ride, she seemed to confide in me. The trial rides were very promising, and after three weeks the proud, timid, alert little creature was mine. In memory of an earlier love, a favorite of the farm home, I named her Jess.

1 From Bits of Wayside Gospel. Used by special arrangement with the Macmillan Company.

In two days, Jess and I started out on our first tramp. We soon understood each other. I think the affection was mutual. We had not been on the road three hours before I discovered she had adopted me as I had her. We rested each other often by my breaking the ride with long walks. I found that she needed no leading strings; faithful as a dog, she followed wherever I went. Hundreds of miles, during the four years of our summer companionship, she followed me without word or bridle. Often in my musings I would forget all about my silent companion; suddenly recalling myself, I would look around, wondering whether she had resented the neglect and abandoned me; but always she was close at hand. Sometimes she, too, would be lost in revery, would forget her surroundings, and would be found dreaming along, four, five, or more rods behind. Sometimes an occasional bush or bough would cause her to turn and reach for a mouthful. But when I stopped, she would quicken her step, hasten to me, and place her head on my shoulder in gentle reconciliation. Jess had a timid nature: she was often afraid, but she seldom lost her self-control while on the road and was always strengthened by .my presence.

In the country the big boulders by the roadside were always uncanny monstrosities to her, but she never doubted my wisdom when driving or riding, and always trusted my leading when walking. It was touching to see her desire to be close to me when in the neighborhood of these terrifying objects. When the rocks were very big and the road was very rough, she would press me hard, as if beseeching me to mount her that we might become a six-limbed centaur, able to cope with whatever goblins might spring up. It was safer thus, she must have thought. I shall never forget how she showed her trust when we first crossed the Blue Mounds. I made the ascent on foot, thinking of her comfort. The road is neither very difficult nor very rugged, and in an hour I was at the top. But, to my surprise, I found that the poor creature to whom I had given no thought, no word or touch of sympathy, was with me on the summit, dripping with sweat and trembling with excitement. It was a cool afternoon, but there was not a dry hair on her. What had been an exhilaration to me had been an intense excitement to my faithful friend. How welcome was my word and how comforting was my touch! The descent was through the wooded density of the west face as the ascent had been over the rocky nakedness of the east. My heart is moved at this hour when I think of the comfort I was able to give that sensitive creature by simply carrying the bridle rein on my arm as we descended.

Jess was obedient, but not because she had no will to subdue. She had a strong head, and she knew as well as any horse of character what it was to take the "bit in her teeth"; and a few times in our intercourse it came to a clear question of strength as to whether the one who held the reins or the one who held the bit should win. In our travelling I think we both found much amusement in trying to discover one another's will; and now as I look back on that silent companionship, it gives me great pleasure to think how often I was able to respect her will. How many a time, as we jogged along, did she halt at the cross-roads for some hint with knee or bridle rein, or some slight bend of the body as to which of two roads we should take'; and many times also did we come to the parting of the ways at which Jess had a decided opinion as to the proper way to go, and great was my pleasure when I could respect her pleasure in the matter.

Jess was more highly civilized than I was, at least in the months of July and August. Of two roads, she always preferred the one that led into the haunts of human nature, while I preferred the shady glens of nature. She preferred a well-graded highway; I loved the winding low paths and the grass-grown by-ways. Jess was always cheered by the sight of a village, and her spirits came up when once within the limits of a town. In the country she took the easy and natural trot; but once in the town she would always take the purely artificial "single-foot."

Jess early learned the meaning of the windmill in our western landscape, and half a mile away I have known her to quicken her pace with the prospect of the cooling draught suggested by the distant object that, like a great butterfly, opened its wings to the summer breeze. Disappointed was she if the gate was closed, but she would promptly try to take the position which would enable her rider to open the gate without dismounting. It was a long time before she connected the clattering of the wheel above with the cooling draught in the trough below, but she finally understood and would wait when necessary, with fear and trembling, the starting of the mill. She always felt like running away, but she never quite did; and when the water came she would cautiously but gratefully venture to drink. But I am sure she was always thankful when the pumping had been done before she arrived.

- Jenkin Lloyd Jones.

2. Study Helps

Was the choice of a horse an important matter to the minister?

What kind of weeks does he call the time he spent in the search?

What is a jockey? What question about each horse had to be thought about carefully?

Why did he try to choose another horse after he had found one he liked? Did you ever feel that you ought not to have a thing just because you wanted it so much?

What do these words mean: "the affection was mutual"?

Musings, deep thought.

Resented, being angry at.

Abandoned me, given me up.

Revery, deep thought.

Reconciliation, making up.

Uncanny, mysterious.

Monstrosities, monsters.

Beseeching, begging.

What is a centaur? What one have you read about?

Why was Jess dripping with sweat when she reached the top of Blue Mounds?

Exhilarating, pleasantly exciting.

Explain "She had a strong head."

Explain "I was able to respect her will."

How could Mr. Jones make Jess know which road he wished to take?

Why does Mr. Jones say, "Jess was more highly civilized than I was"?

What sort of gait is the "single-foot"?

Artificial is the opposite of natural. Did you know that horses had to be taught the " single-foot"?

The writer says that the windmill suggested water to Jess. What did he mean?

What did Jess not understand at first about the windmill?

3. Word Studies

Find at least ten words that are used to describe Jess. Write them down. How many of these can you explain? Look in the dictionary for help about the others.

Make as long a list of horse gaits as you can. Under what conditions is each a good gait? Try to find which ones are natural and which are artificial.

4. Oral Composition

Describe a horse that you should like to own. Think what things you ought to tell about it in order to make your hearers feel acquainted with the horse. Write down this list of topics, then arrange them in good order. You may use the paper to refer to when you are talking, if you wish.

5. Spelling Lesson

Learn to spell and define these words. Write sentences containing them.

gait.

walks.

boulder.

gate.

bough.

touch.

bridle.

bow.

grateful.

ascent.

shoulder.

neighborhood.