Select Petry.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3642, 28 August 1880, Page 1

Select Petry.

THE C'BBECT CARD.

O'rreet card, tir ? C'rreet-card «ir ? What! " You've seen my fnce before ? Well, I dan say at how you have, sir* and, „ •o hare many more., . : Bat they passes me by without a word—bat, t perhaps its just •• well: A poor crippled, chap like me, fir, ain't it company for a swell. . , " But I've se*n the time when they all was proud with me to be talking e«n— [ When I rode, for Lord Arthur Forester and . wore the black and green. How did it. happen ? I'll tell yon, air,. • Ym'kne'w little Fanny Flight— ',' ;....,„";• Old Farmer Flight's one daughter—always m preMy and bright i '-„•-■ „-...•-. ' Yon used to joke with hersometiaws,sir,aad say as, if she'd marry, Yo«M set up a pub together, an' pitch you folks to Old Harry. . .... Yon was just down for the holidays, sir, from Oxford, where you was at school t But you only played at being in love, while I \ —was a cursed fool! , • Well, there was lots of 'em after her, tir, what with her way* and her face; " " *•■ But % was is earnest, yow see, air, and rod* sV waiting race. v ' ■ '••'"; 'Twas one fine April morning, when she came out to see as train, *'" - - Andjuit «s she stood with her little hand holding on by my horses mane, I felt as bow I could do it, and came with a ruth, you see, . . An' I said to her—all of a tremble, sir-*" Fas,; will you marry me ? " ' '- « ■ .'•'' And she blushrd, an' smiled, an 1 whinnied, and after a" bit she agreed That as soon as I found the money to pay for our keep and feed, ' - • „ Why, we'd run in harners together. We'd ha* made a tidyish pair; ' ' * '" , For I weren't a bad-looking colt at the time, an' the— such a nice little mart! " ■/ Such a mouth! Such a forehand! Booh action! Ah, well, let 'em say what they may, , • . •■ • ," That's the sort to make running with as, sir, though, damn it! thty never can stay* , Well, the time went on, and I rode my beat, an' they called- me a outeitfeobap, : And Lord Arthur put me up to ride lor the Leicestershire Handicap. . -:_.; Lord Arthur, he was a never wm stingy or mean— .' -;.- ; » > An' be said, "I'll gi?e you five hundred, aty - t . man, if you win. with the black and .. green.', , . '■>.». Well, the horse I rode was Basper; perhaps: you remember him well ? . ■■ Black, all but one white loot, sir; tad ft temper!—he'd pull like belli But jump like a bird, if he had a mind— plenty of po«>er and pace— s And I knew he bad it in bim, and I aware ; I'd win the race. ...., * The night before the race came off I wast down to Farmer Flight's— . '' ■",. They'd got to expect me regular now ©*.- Tuesday and Friday nights— And I told her what Lord Arthur said, and ho wlf I chanced to win, - . We'd go into double harness, on the strength of his lordship's tin, ' ' An* she put my colon in her hair, ami bar arms around my neck, „ And I felt—but, damn it t a chap's a fool at. can't keep hii feelings in check. But then you see, sir, I wot a fool—a big OM. * ' at ever was teen— ' ' '*' "l'J But then I was only twenty when I Matin,. the black and green. . V. I get up early next morning, an* felt as light at a feather, And I went to start, for the stables; and mother she afked me whether . ... . I'd not take my flask in my pockety in ease it mifht come in bandy; • i -. ' '' But, " Mother," I san, "When a chap's m lore, he don't feel to want any brandy."' And I thought as I put on a new pair o* spurs and a jacket bran new and clean, ' That I'd gire long odds thatTd pull it offten to one on the black and green. , ■ ° Well, Lord Arthur gave me my orders and a leg up on to my horse,' And I just had taken my canter an' wat coming back up tb* course, ' When who should I spy but Fanny, in a stylish tort of trap, . , • ,' Talking away likerblazea to a dark, long* whiskered chap! - .', ■ But I hadn't t me to think of more, for we got the word to start, . \ " <* And Rasper gave » thundering tear thai * nearly pulled out my heart j An' then I pulled him together, for mine waa. a waiting race, . , • And I knew that what was to' win it^wat Rasper's pluck, not pace. Well, I got rcund all right the first time: the fences were easy enough— . > - ; At least, to a couple like toe were | the only one that was tough : . Was a bigguh hedge, with a post and rails % . but the taking off. was fair, And I shouldn't oaJI it * dangerous jump,,so long as you took it with care.'. „':- , And Rasper!—that Tery morning I said to - Lord Arthur, I said, , - " I think as that horse there could jump a church if he tooU the thing into bit Beadf" -■> An' that morning he went like a lady and looked as bright as a.bean, ' And I knew, if it only lasted, Td win with the black and green. i ' .- ■ . - ; ' I was riding Basper easy, when, just as w» s passed the stand, 'f^ : It struck me the carriage that Fanny was in, wat somewhere upon my right haod t x-, And I took a pull at Basper and »glaaoe towards that side, ' , . ,:> -< And I saw what made me forget the rasa aad ' forget the way to ride— ,',::■. Only a kiss! An'whatfakis* to tbelikeof i him and her? - , : But I could not help letting Batper feel that , 1 wore a long-necked spur; > An' though I*s«t my teeth to bt eoolaed steadied him with the rein, '. <. I knew that the de?U in Rwper was up, and oouldn't be laid again. , . -' An' the very next fence, though I kept bin straight, and he went at it after the) rest, Iconldfeel that he meant to do hit worst | and I couldn't ride my beet. For, yoa know, when a man- feels desperatt* like, he's no taore head that a ohitd \ ■ P- ■ And it's all vp.with, a took,yoa aee,jrib« . goetathitfenew«|b|;: -^y;-■;• .

w Over the next fence—o»er the nextr-till I thought as my teeth I set, If I could only keep my head to my work, I might pull through with it yet 5 And I took a pull at Rasper, an' fell back a bit to the tail, F«f I'd never forgot the one difficult spot— the hedge with the post and rail. How it all comes back 1 We're in the field; — now for a rattling burst, F*r the race is half won by the horse and man that crofses that fence the first. I ran up to my horses and; pass them —I've given Rasper his head ; ' I (in hear some lengths behind me, the v trampling and the tread ; Ajfrl now I send him at it, firmly but not too „..-,,,fa it_ _.... • .. . „ ■ • He stops—lays his ears back—Refuses ! The devil's come out at last! And I dig in the steel and let him feel the sting of the stout whalebone, And'l lay, " You shall do it, you devil! if I break your neck and my own." And the lirute gave a fqicnl, »nd rushes at the post and rui l ; kt'u ml— No time to rise liim urn—noi nuich «».« if I badj • And then—well, I fit] a crush and a blow and bear a won an scream, And I K-tm to be dyiikg by incbrs in a horrid tort of a dnatn. # L # . # * # • # # II Ho thank ye—l'd rather not, sir, you see • they ain't all like you : Ibepe gents as has plenty of money don't care who they gives it to ; But as for stopping an' saying a word, and hearing a fellow's'tale, . They'd rather chuck him a crown, sir, or, stand him a quart of ale. But it brings back old times to be talking to . you. Ah! tbe jolly old times as I've seen, When I lode for Lord Arthur (C'rrect card, lir ■?) and wore tbe black and green! " —Temple Bar.