passed it, and he can't
turn his head to have a good look at it. So often he goes tearing madly
on; and sometimes lives are lost all on account of a little bit of
leather fastened over a beautiful eye that ought to look out full and
free at the world. That finished father. He said he'd take off his
blinders, and if he had an accident, he'd send the bill for damages to
Mr. Wood. But we've had no accident. The horses did act rather queerly
at first, and started a little; but they soon got over it, and now they
go as steady without blinders as they ever did with them."

The boy sat down, and the president said: "I think it is time that the
whole nation threw off this foolishness of half covering their horses'
eyes. Just put your hands up to your eyes, members of the band. Half
cover them, and see how shut in you will feel; and how curious you will
be to know what is going on beside you. Suppose a girl saw a mouse with
her eyes half covered, wouldn't she run?"

Everybody laughed, and the president asked some one to tell him who
invented blinders.

"An English nobleman," shouted a boy, "who had a wall-eyed horse! He
wanted to cover up the defect, and I think it is a great shame that all
the American horses have to suffer because that English one had an ugly
eye."

"So do I," said the president. "Three groans for blinders, boys."

And the children in the room made three dreadful noises away down in
their throats. Then they had another good laugh, and the president
became sober again. "Seven more minutes," he said; "this meeting has got
to be let out at five sharp."

A tall girl at the back of the room rose, and said: "My little cousin
has two stories that she would like to tell the band."

"Very well," said the president; "bring her right along."

The big girl came forward, leading a tiny child that she placed in
front of the boys and girls. The child stared up into her cousin's face,
turning and twisting her white pinafore through her fingers. Every time
the big girl took her pinafore away from her, she picked it up again.
"Begin, Nannie," said the big girl, kindly.

"Well, Cousin Eleanor," said the child, "you know Topsy, Graham's pony.
Well, Topsy would run away, and a big, big man came out to papa and said
he would train Topsy. So he drove her every day, and beat her, and beat
her, till he was tired, but still Topsy would run away. Then papa said
he would not have the poor pony whipped so much, and he took her o