of him. You know he drives a good deal late at night. I told him
that every dark night he came from Sudbury I thought of the deep
ditch alongside the road, and wished his horses hadn't blinders on.
And every night he comes from the Junction, and has to drive
along the river bank where the water has washed away the earth
till the wheels of the wagon are within a foot or two of the edge, I
wished again that his horses could see each side of them, for I
knew they'd have sense enough to keep out of danger if they could
see it. Father said that might be very true, and yet his horses had
been broken in with blinders, and didn't I think they would be
inclined to shy if he took them off; and wouldn't they be frightened
to look around and see the wagon wheels so near. I told him that
for every accident that happened to a horse without blinders,
several happened to a horse with them; and then I gave him Mr.
Wood's opinion Mr. Wood out at Dingley Farm. He says that the
worst thing against blinders is that a frightened horse never knows
when he has passed the thing that scared him. He always thinks it
is behind him. The blinders are there and he can't see that he has
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