Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1913 — OUR BOYS and GIRLS [ARTICLE]

OUR BOYS and GIRLS

The Story of A Daisy. Daisy is a black mare with a white mark, ip the middle of her forehead, shaped like a daisy. • She has two mistresses, a woman and a little girl, and she loves both dearly. Just to hear their voices makes her whinney With delight, and, if she is at pasture in the field she will always run at their call and be ready to go in any .direction. Then, Daisy loves not only her mistress, but every creature upon the little farm. ’ She especially loved an old cow and her calf in the next stable to her. She was almost always ready to whinney softly at every low of the old cow, as much as to tell her, that she was near i and there was nothing to fear. : . j It seems fuany. as Daisy never had offspring of her own, that she should take such a notion to the little calf in the next stall to her; but, one day, when the old cow was taken away to pasture, and the calf was left alone in the stall, Daisy became greatly excited, whinneying her displeasure at every bleat of the calf. Her mistress thought she wanted water, and led her forth to the watering trough, only to have her shake her 'head and utter another whinney. When she let go of her for a moment, Daisy walked back to the barn and entered the stable, where the little calf was tied.

The door was open and Daisy walked in with a soft little whinney and lay down very carefully beside the calf. ' The calf doubtless thought it was her mother and snuggled up closely to her warm side. Daisy’s mistress thought it was just too funny for anything, but she stroked her face, calling her a good horsey and, perhaps, this was so much encouragement that Daisy exerted herself to be still a greater friend for the poor lonely little calf. One day, when Daisy was let out of the stable to take the ladies riding, the calf was running about the carriage yard, and much to the surprise of its mistresses, it followed Daisy •very step of the way, keeping close to her side. < • " ■ * It was such a novel sight, along the country road, that everybody laughed, but this never concerned Daisy, as no doubt she felt that she was doing right, her conduct beyond reproach. There were some places Daisy was fonder of visiting than others. One was about ten miles from her home — a place, where she was always turned out in an orchard while her mistress visited. This orchard was covered with deep grass and many apples lay upon the "ground. Daisy was so glad to get to this place that she always stopped of her own accord and whinnied with delight. After being taken out of the shafts, she would enter the orchard, eat several apples, take a few nibbles of grass, and, by that time, her surroundings were so satisfactory that she showed her appreciation by lying down and rolling in the grass. One day the lady was greatly surprised when Daisy and a calf came to her place, Daisy whinneying until the gate was opened for her. She had come all that way alone, bringing her adopted offspring with her. Daisy is growing to be an old horse, but still she likes to visit where she is turned loose orchard. As for the calf,, she is a big cow now and follows Daisy no more in her travels.