always been
considered unusually fine. But no one ever won my whole heart like Miss
Merry, and I never shall forget the happy day when she came to the
stable to order a saddle-horse. Her cheery voice made me prick up my
ears, and when she said, after looking at several showy beasts, "No,
they don't suit me. This one now has the right air; can I ride her?" my
heart danced within me and I looked round with a whinny of delight. She
understood my welcome, and came right up to me, patted me, peered into
my face, rubbed my nose, and looked at my feet with an air of interest
and sympathy, that made me feel as if I'd like to carry her round the
world.

"'Ah, what rides we had after that! What happy hours trotting gayly
through the green woods, galloping over the breezy hills, or pacing
slowly along quiet lanes, where I often lunched luxuriously on
clover-tops, while Miss Merry took a sketch of some picturesque bit with
me in the foreground.

"'I liked that, and we had long chats at such times, for she seemed to
understand me perfectly. She was never frightened when I danced for
pleasure on the soft turf, never chid me when I snatched a bite from the
young trees as we passed through sylvan ways, never thought it a trouble
to let me wet my tired feet in babbling brooks, or to dismount and take
out the stones that plagued me.

"'Then how well she rode! So firm yet light a seat, so steady a hand, so
agile a foot to spring on and off, and such infectious spirits, that no
matter how despondent or cross I might be, in five minutes I felt gay
and young again when dear Miss Merry was on my back.'

"Here Rosa gave a frisk that sent the straw flying, and made me shrink
into a corner, while she pranced about the box with a neigh which waked
the big brown colt next door, and set poor Buttercup to lowing for her
calf, the loss of which she had forgotten for a little while in sleep.

"'Ah, Miss Merry never ran away from me! She knew my heels were to be
trusted, and she let me caper as I would, glad to see me lively. Never
mind, Miss Belinda, come out and I'll be sober, as befits my years,'
laughed Rosa, composing herself, and adding, so like a woman that I
could not help smiling in the dark,--

"'When I say "years" I beg you to understand that I am _not_ as old as
that base man declared, but just in the prime of life for a horse. Hard
usage has made me seem old before my time, and I am good for years of
service yet.'

"'Few people ha