A PERFECT LADY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2273, 17 April 1886, Page 2

A PERFECT LADY.

Having penned the article on ppnies in an a recent issue of the Mail, I paid i visit to a friend of mine at Fairfield, who had a new pony, in fact, as he called it " the pony of the country." Hardly had I left the vehicle when my friend, whom. I will call Charley, eiclaimed rapturously '" There's Zoe, ins't she a .perfect lady" In my ignorance of all matters pertainj n n toh'orsefleah, 1 was unable, fawC'JL. opinion asto whether the pony had ftttrnf tea usually understood to the perfect lady, or not,'but Tvwjflred to say that 1 .thoueht she was very pretty* "Pretty;" cried Charley;• '"'excitedly, "sho'u a beauty! look at her.coat.it's vel. yet. There's a neck—there's soonest-, just look at that quarter—do ypus's'ee that fore-arm 1 Look at her eye, bright with the fire of high breeding, and as.' kind as a woman's I" While speaking, Charley had fastened the pony's halter 4p a sapling. "Shes a plum, aiid as quiet as a lamb." By this time he was affectionately rubbing the near leg of "the lamb;" he was in a stooping poßture' with his head near "the lamb's" tailj wh<)n tha docile creature, being, I suppose* .in one of her child-like moods, seized heir panegyrist by the back of his ■. pants, and playfully landed him about five, yards in front of her. Charley .assumed a sitting' position, and, with a'.heroio attempt at a smile assured, me. that " there was no harm done, that ' the lamb' was a little fresh, that was all; she had no vice, not a bit." In the. meantime "the lamb" was swishing jher tail about and laying her ears back in a way which didn't seem to me to indicate.-4a presence of the "lady-like" lb£ 'ln. with which she had been creditetwflJß ■ owner. Charlie had picked himsls7ils a little the worso as to his nether garment, and proceeded to remonstrate with " the lamb" upon the inpropriety of her conduct in a- good-natured bantering sort of way which was no doubt quite'Cunderstood and fully appreciated by the " perfect lady" at the same timo reiterating the assurance that it was, not vice only freshness. " She's a darling," said Charley stroking her sides, when by a sudden, movement the aristocratic creature turned her tail upon her proprietor;- lifted her infantile lieols, and sent them at the. rate of a hundred miles an hour straight at his head, Had her ladylike intentions succeeded Oharles would have been "scratched for all.engagements;" but by an agile spring he managed to escape the full force of- tin lamb's heels, but received sufficient- impetus to hurl him into'a prickly bush some fifteen yards off, whence he omorged in a. condition; ; which can be more readily imagined' than' accurately described. He had shot along the ground like one who had taken "a header," his hands and knees were cut and .bruised, his clothes were torns, and his'faije was lacerated by the bush as if he had been having a serious difference with :|klogion of Kilkenny cats. The chilk-lihwoe was in the meanwhile capering round $w saplin, tossing her head and whinnjlng in a sort of self-congratulatory manner »« if she had just performed a laudable deed and was aware of the fact, During this Charley was shaking the dust out of his gar-* ments and tenderly rubbiifg his many bruises, and notwithstanding his ill-success so far, he announced his intention of preying tho docility of the lamb by mounting her. I tried to dissuade him, but in vain, After CMslder&ble trouble: and no ! littlo danger, the determined Charley succeeded inputting a bridle and.saddle on the gentle Zoe, and, after still ■ greater difficulty, placed his foot in the stirrup; -Mi6i Zoe returned this intention by inserting her hind hoof in his'ooat pocket,'much to the detriment of that article. After curvetting round with one foot in the stirrupiron for some timo, accompanied by Zoe, as if ho was indulging in a.mazurka, Charley contrived to climb into the saddle. Zoe now amused herself and herrider by somo eccentric equine tactics; She made, a dart as if she intended to boy but in leas than twenty yards stopped and, The result of this manoeuvre was n;oi place Charloy on her neck, his head arid-limba mixed up with her ears and the bridle. However he regained the saddle, is something which I cannot explain, nor he either. 1 believe. Zoe seemed astonished and a litfclejdisappointed; but Bhe was "a lady of resources, She now instituted** succession of bucks—back, front, 'rigW left: Charley was immovable. At la?*' " the lamb" gathered horself together for a grand effort, She arose in' the air with her lovely head down and her four hoofs moeting as if they wanted toehake hands with each other. Sho then suddenly straightened herself out «b straight as an arrow, 'he firths broke ,the saddle was suspended upon a tree, and I 'Charley was shot into the air, and descended across a log, where he hung for an instant like the golden fleece; but only for an instant, for with an activity and a presence of mind which 1 cannot too highly commend, he sprang into the stable. The wisdom of this proceeding will be understood when it is stated the "kitten," having disposed of her owner, proceeded to amuse herself at her own sweot will, How I accomplished the distance that separated me froni'tife house I never knew. The first thing ){U,know, I was looking from a window, Whence I saw the pale face of Charley watching in consternation the child-like qLhii pot. The" lamb," in the mom sysijjatic manner Btove in the water?*, smashed the hog-trough, pulled down one side of the fowl-house, and totally. demoU ished an iron boiler, sending the wreck in unpleasant proximity to Charlie's blanched countenance. , Having accomplied all this to her own 'evident. satisfaction, the " pretty gazelle" stood on her hind legs ,for a moment, and looked rounc(,as if searching for something more to deitrov; then, with a snort of defiance; one bounded away, cleared 'a.Jhrea-railed fence, and disappeared in the bush,— W.G.O. in Sydney Mail. ..'.