Mr. Ames then told her to have Rollo put back in the stable until she
could get me to show her how to drive him. I almost cried out from
pure pity for the poor dumb beast that I knew was suffering so in his
longing for his old home and friends who understood him. But for the
horse's sake I tried not to break down. I told her that first of all
she must teach the horse to love her. That was an awfully hard thing
to say, I assure you, and I doubt if the woman understood my meaning
after all. When I told her not to pull on his mouth she looked amazed,
and said, "Why, he would run away with me if I didn't!" But I assured
her that he would not--that he had been taught differently--that he
was very nervous and spirited--that the harder she pulled the more
excited he would become--that I had simply held him steady, no more. I
saw that Mrs. Ames did not believe one word that I had said, but I
tried to convince her, for the sake of the unhappy animal that had
been placed at her mercy.
I have often met and passed her out on the road, and the horse she
drives is a large, handsome animal, and we had supposed that she was a
good whip; so, when Mr. Ames appeared the other day and said his wife
had asked him to come up and buy the sorrel horse for her we were
delighted that such a good home had been found for him--and for Fannie
too.
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