University of Virginia Library

AFTER THE RACE.

After the races I went round to the stable. Longfellow was
lame—his legs were swollen.

“How is he, Uncle John?” I asked.

“The tendons in his fore legs are shattered and broken. He's
ruined; will never run again,” he replied. “Poor Long! he
tried to win it!” sobbed the old man. He murmured to himself:

To-night an old man wended his way to the depot. He wore
a heavy frock coat of linsey-woolsey, and a pair of ill-fitting pantaloons
with ragged bottoms. He carried a heavy walking-stick,
and bore on it heavily as he tottered along. He was followed
by a little negro boy carrying a huge valise. On arriving at the
depot he purchased a ticket for Cincinnati. This man was old
John Harper. When the train came along he got into a car.
Turning to the little negro he said:

“Tell Marshall to be careful with the horse, and to look out
for Express as well. I'm a little afraid of the leg, and, Tom, I
reckon you'd better tell him to give Longfellow a car by himself.
But never mind; I reckon Frank 'll 'tend to that.”

So old white-haired John Harper went back with his idol to
his Kentucky home, but he will return again in 1902 with Longfellow,
to contest for the prowess of Kentucky.