I drove Romola to the store to get the nails, etc., which were wanted, and then, feeling very much lulled and soothed by the thought of having some one who worked with such vim and needed no looking after, I spent a delightful, restful evening reading the "Memoirs of Madame Vigée Le Brun." Most interesting and inspiring to read of such a woman—such great gifts and above all such wonderful diligence—not an idle moment did she allow herself; her art and the social labors belonging thereto occupied every moment.
Cherokee, December 5.
I had to go to Gregory to-day to get the check for my rice. Small though it is, I need it to pay for thrashing, etc. I determined to take my colt Dandy over the ferry for the first time, as that would give a spice of enjoyment to an otherwise trying day, so had the pole put on the buckboard and Ruth and Dandy put in. He drives charmingly in double harness, but the ferry is a very trying thing at first to a horse—just a long, flat boat, only wide enough to admit of driving in with care, without railing front or back, and propelled across the Black River, which is very deep, by two negroes pulling on a wire slack enough to allow the passage of tugboats and small steamers. If, by chance, one of these comes puffing along while one is in the flat, it takes a very sensible horse to stand it.
My horses are all wonderfully intelligent and understand a reassuring explanation accompanied by a pat and loving word, but Dan is so young and frolicsome that he might not stop to listen. He is a picture pony, with the grace and activity of a kitten, and as plucky and stanch as possible, but terribly mischievous; has killed two calves for me. He is not yet broken to saddle, for I was afraid of putting much weight on him while so young. Breaking him to double harness has been a great pleasure to me, for he has never given any real trouble. I put him first in a very light vehicle with Mollie, the doyenne of the stable, who, though old (22) and reliable, is very spirited and pulled up with him beautifully, yet didn't mind his prancing and dancing. I didn't put him in single for fear he would come into general use before he was old enough to stand it.
"The Ferry."
One day Jim came to me and begged me to allow Jack and himself to put Dan in the little single wagon. I hesitated, as I was too busy to go and see it done, but Jim was so eager for it that finally I consented, told him to take the body off of the little wagon, leaving only the running gear, which would be light, and told him only one of them must be in the wagon at a time. I did not go out for about an hour, when I saw Jim leading Dan to the stable, no wagon to be seen anywhere. I asked where the wagon was. His answer was:—
"Dan went beautiful, ma'am, an' we drove him all over the plantation." "Well," I said, "then, where is the wagon?" Most reluctantly Jim went on: "Then, ma'am, Jack an' me thought as he'd done so well we wud jes' take him down the avenue an' haul in that wood by the gate." "What," I cried, "that heavy oak wood?" Lower and lower went poor Jim's head. "Yes, ma'am." "And what happened then?" I was determined to extract the whole story, so as to know how to act. "Then, ma'am, Dan he pull fine till we cum to rise the hill, an' then he wudn't pull the wagon up." "Did Jack and you take off some of the wood, and one of you push behind?" "No, ma'am, we never thought of that, but we tried to make him pull it, an' when we whipped him he just pranced and threw himself down till we had to take him out for fear he'd hurt himself."
I was very angry. Nothing more injudicious could have been done to the dear little beast who up to this time had thought human beings all powerful and all wise. "Take him back to the wagon, Jim, but give Jack time to run ahead and take off half the load; and put the logs entirely out of sight, Jack, so that Dan may not know that any change has been made in the wagon."