Litchfield enquirer., 1831-11-24

ing that he cheated nobody--told no lies. and never travelled road which he was afraid to travel again. " But then," tho't Joshua, !" if the Squire has mind to cheat himself, it's nobody's business. can't be to blame."
 His reception at the house of his old ac- quaintance was as cordial as he could have desired, and the evening was spent as usu- al in recounting the incidents which had occurred to each other since :hey last met. In the morning the Squire for the first time noticed the calE. "Why, Joshua, what in the name of common sense have you got there !'' Nothing but poor, mean. lou sy calf, that's all ?" But what did vou bring it here for ?'' "I'll tell you what, Squire. it's pretty considerable long sto- ry, and foolish one to boot; but I must tell it to you. You know the Boston folks are full of notions,' aud amongst other fool- Isll ideas that's got into their heads, they thlnk Il they can only send to England and get any thing, it will be as good again as if they got it at home. So off they sent last summer, a'rter drove of cattle: and you know, that there were thousand on 'em in the Bay State and Connecticut to be got as cheap agin." "Yes, but Joshua re- member the importance of improving the breed of cattle in this country" Im- prove 6ddle-stick beg your pardon, Squire, but it puts me out of patience to hear folks talk SO. Now, look at that calf and s'posing he did come over from Ene- land. and they called him Devonshire bull, and gave five hundred dollars for him do you s'pose he'd improve your breed of cattle ?" The eyes of Squire Iceland O. pened wide with astonishment, and he in- qulred with the greatest eagerness, if the cali was in fact one of the far famed breed from Devonshire. '' l didn't say he was, for | don't know any thing about breeds but ii General Braynard has mind to pay i've hundred dollars for him, and give me fifty dollars to fetch him all the way from Boston, why, say the greater fool he." The squire was all in ecsiasies. He knew that number of the first breeds of cattle in England had been imported into Boston. and that General Braynurd had been striv- ing to procure some of them. This calf must be one-worn thin and meagre by his long journey by sea and land. He asked d few pertinent questions, which Joshua an- swered with his usual circumlocution, and the Squire was entirely satisfied that he then had the pleasure, for the first time in his life, of viewing ono of that identieai bre ed of cattle which he had so long been desir- ous to obtain. Joshua read all that passed in his mind, and proceeded accordingly Now Squire, want little of your can did advice; you see this poor calf is al- most dead with his journey, and it's pretty nigh two hundred miles to General Bray nard's; and I'm mighty fraid he'll die be- fore get there. If it want for my fifty dollars. which l MUST pay for my land, | should have killed him long ago. You can't tell what plague he is to me. have to drive SO confounded slow, and spend half my time nursing on him, that don't know what to do." "Why, Joshua, if the fifty dollars is all your trouble, only leave him with me, and I'll give you that sum in a jerk-but don't think of killing him." "l'll tell you what, Squire Lee land, you and have been acquainted these four years, and have always hitched our horses together pretty well and now
 l advise you. as friend, to give up your notions about merino sheep and Devon shire cattle-to keep your fifty dollars. and have nothing to do with such shabby look ing creature as this is. But then, if you'll have your own way, I'll make you an offer. You know Yankee is always true to his employer; and shan't leave Gen. Bray nard's calf without giving him chance to get it again." The Squire looked grave. " Now, if you've mind to give me fifty dollars, and make out a writing with your name to it, that any time within six months the General may have the critter, by pay ing you back the money, and paying for the expense and trouble of keeping him" :" m do it." says the Squire; but hark ye, Joshua, tell him pretty hard bad story a.
 bout the bull, and discourage him if you
 can." "Well, Squire, you may take the
 calf; but shan't tell nothing to the Gen.
 eral, nor nobody else, that ant true. But
 in this case the truth is bad enough: and
 rather guess he won't come. And now,
 Squire, remember what tell you'd
 rather have one calf from our old brindle
 COW than to have half a dozen sick critters
 as this is-Iwouldn't give four pence-ha'-
 penny for him." The Squire smiled sage
 ly, and said as plain as any man can say
 without speaking, know what I'm d.
 bout" Joshua pocketed his money, and
 departed with the gravity of sexon; /; and
 tho Squire commenced nursing his calf By dint of uncommon attention and double ! ( l. AlA