Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1894 — ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. [ARTICLE]

ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE.

Pathetic Deootioh of a Bit .Lack Horse ‘‘Talk about animals not knowing lothing,” said the old darkey, who vas pretending to cut the grass; ‘why, I tells yo*, a horse know lots nor’n some dese ’ere niggers loafin’ round. Foh de war I wuz owned by Hass’ Wright in Tennessee, and his ;on Mass’ Tom was my massa. When Hass’ Tom was bohn I was a little cid playin’ on de big lawn lore de louse, and ole massa come out wid le baby in his ahms and called me in’ said ‘Joe, dis is yo’ massa now ind yo’ mus’ look after him.’ Jen he laid Mass’ Tom in my ahms, io h’s mighty little den. and I pronises him to alius look after the ittleTnassa. Well, Mass’ Tom grew up ind bimeby he married and brought t little wife home. Butrhe’s mighty wild and didn’t stay at home much, le had a big black horse he called star, and everv night he was home le’d play de fiddle. As soon as he’d start you’d hear Star a-comin’ up the ield on a run. He wouldn’t wait for 10 one to let down de bars, but’d ump over dem and come right up to ie window and stick his head into de ■oom and neigh. Or if massa was on ie porch he’d come up to de steps do leys mighty little den, and I pronises play. Hit tickled massa nighty and he’d ruther play to Star lan to fine company. “Well, den Mass’ Tom he kept ?ettin‘ wilder and wilder, till finally lis little wife she go home to her oks to stay and he don’t come home zery much. He ride Star off and stays for days when he comeshome he lurse everyone. One night he rode tome in a terrible storm and flung limself on the bed all wet, and de lex’ morning he breath hard and when de doctor come he say it was ammonia.’ The first thing we know Mass’ Tom he die. After the funer11 Star come up to de house and isten for de fiddle; den he seem leart-broken and everyone say he nournin’ for Massa’. One night he jumped over de bars and went tar’n n up de road and we look for him iverywhere; but no one thought of join’ to de cemetery till ’about a week. Little miss had come back, ind when she went out dere, dat lorse lay on Mass’ Tom’s grave dead, lust died of grief—killed hisself, Yo ?an’t tell me horses ain’t got feelin’s ind sense.”