Justin Morgan, founder of his race

Once upon a time--but why should I begin this horse-tale as if it were a mere fairy-tale? It is founded on the story of a real horse in a setting of incidents related in the his...

Even, pleasant and cheerful was True’s natural disposition, but besides these traits there were others that went to make up the peculiar perfection horse-flesh had attained in t...

Never had Ceph been treated kindly by anyone; he’d never had “half a chance in life,” as Gipsey said. Nobody ever praised him, everybody blamed him, and he had nothing but blows...

In True’s third year, Master Whitman came one morning, betimes, to brush him down before taking him out for his usual exercise--so the “pony” thought. But after a while he was c...

Master Morgan was not a strong man physically, and his ways were those of a scholar and student, but he was lovable and staunch and true, and, lilting the stave of “Mear” he set...

The latter stood chatting with a mere slip of a girl, dark-eyed and merry. In her hand she carried a fine, thread-lace kerchief--like gossamer films at dawn--and a pouf of gauze...

One sunny September morning, when the weather was clear and fine and the trees were waving their crisp, gay-tinted leaves over the grass-bordered roadways leading to the fair-gr...

Beautiful Bay boasted of having carried the Marquis de Lafayette to the great banquet the Hartford people gave him at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, in 1784. The reference to this...

Upon a hill at Randolph Centre perched a little store where the farmers gathered in cold weather to warm themselves with Medford rum, a common enough drink in those days, to exp...

Once or twice a week it was the custom among the farmers, waiting at Chase’s Mill, to pass the time testing their strength or that of their horses. It was healthful sport and ke...

A welcome more cordial than usual greeted them one sweet and tranquil afternoon. Cowbells tinkled in the distance, coming home along the River Road for the milking hour, and the...

Many events similar to the one related in the last chapter spread the Morgan’s fame throughout the Valley, and when Evans finished his clearing Justin Morgan once more took poss...

Sometimes Justin Morgan rode his horse to Williston to visit his friend, the Hon. Lemuel Bottom, who was a lover of good horses; sometimes they went to Hinesburgh, a short dista...

For several days Morgan showed his regret at the fate of the beaver by neither romping nor playing. When David and himself were on their way from place to place and resting at n...

The talk of the village was Mistress Hannah’s new silken gown--the first ever brought to Montpelier, so the town history tells. David Wing was now Judge and Secretary of State,...

Soon after his race with Silvertail, Morgan’s reputation, having spread so far, he was bought by Colonel John Goss, who, not caring to have the trouble of a horse himself, rode...

In 1811 Samuel Stone bought the little horse and changed his name back to Morgan. Once more he went to live in Randolph, which had been the scene of his early triumphs.

Then one day the sun rose clear and bright, the waters sank and the mountains showed clean-cut against the fleckless sky--but no bees buzzed, no sweet odors filled the air, no w...

Morgan waited two weeks for a sight of his Lady. Nobody came to tell him the news, so he could only hope the Captain would recover and need to go for an airing after a while.

From Montpelier other messengers were sent in all directions to warn the farmers, and Lieut. Van Sicklen pushed on to Randolph, Morgan’s old home. His former friends along the w...

For days after the naval battle Morgan seemed rejuvenated, ready to begin life all over; life, with its changes of owners, its partings, its hard work--but withal, its friendshi...