The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-02-28
DEACON D!SHEK'S CKOKED COW {.

DtSNEE'S CHOKED COW! {
In nri.'larinG town TO t'ds orpat l.'cr2-
! AMI tristan cmno' i.,n. tf'o>tonl there
u.rd To !y" one Deacon i,a,'ier- whcth,r h-
Wa in reality r,auiar deacon. or merely
cai!cd 80 Tor >ii"r,, III 80 o. co:.. ,.in"nt 10
M .l"'t-ht,r!r') pict.,. 'it. ,rcco:d>' informs
Ii not Ill; he W. i milk man At al events
krJ. in. <;r'io.r, "ov yard, arI welt
::r,n@cl dairy. The deacon had small
stream ri wairr running near hi; house Dur
;nc th.. summer and in this cool stream he
W. arr,l-.o;nrd to st his milk-cans, into
which the dlrv mrid> ani boys would pour
ii" MIX. trr-h iron IT,. COWS, filing the caus
np 10 within six inches 81 the top. while the
'sIt"r wa 80 arranged rs {" reach u,tAimnm
hraEt "a. he outside 81 ri..>r cam 'r!i> do
y on part OF the hel y. being p-rtorlned.they
"onid retire, ere il was yet daylight, to III"
',nasr. get an carly krraA last. an! take 4 nap,
leaving Tie cans ready fer tie milk carriers
~ I,u" MP. give thcma s.las and carry away
~ the driv customers. Now the worthy
.-,ir.ron" was conscientious man he could
not afford to sell his milk in genuine state,
nor could he in his cons i,ncc fnl it to pour
water in his cans : bu, he could make a min
iature d'm among some willows that covered
over the stream above his smoke house. and
to this dam he could atfix small flood gate
and this gate he could stca! out to raise and
let fall suddenly. escaping water enough at
one sweep to ovcrrun the milk, and add two
quarts to each of the twenty cans, and none
but himself much the wiser for this mechani
cal :,cuteneS>
One cold, snowy night, the sharp nipPlng
winds blowing great guns, and making iciclcs
ward long, for bayoncis, rap, rap, rap.
was heard at the lcaconS' door; it was so cold
and frosty that dogs couldn't or refused to
bark. or bite the intrudcrs and so sound slept
the unconccrned in such manipulated, extra
dniies-hIp, that none responded to the ur
gent summons in the dead hour Of the pitileSs
night, but the rigilant proprietor, Deacon
Dasher, who much against the will of his
spouse, scrambled out of his cosy bed, to see
what it was all about
"IIallo Deacon ," rap. rap, rap.
whats the bothcr-who are YOU ?" says
the Deacon, with his nj ght-cap'd head. and
shivrring shoulders. proru1eh out at the
window. 'NlaSzy's sakcs. friends, who are
vou and what's the trouble -
I'VE arc friends, (D deacon" said one of
the two persons in Sleigh at the gate.
Friends? Well, well, nassv's sakes alive
what io Won want such a night as this :"
isn't this your cow-housc over here, Dea-
con ~
"Whv, sur, it is" replied the Shivering
deacon 'do tell what YOU want, or I'll freeze
before YOU get OUT
"WelI. Draconvou had better bear hand
for by .Jove. one Of yonr rny best rors is
choking to death and, if We were not near
" frozen, and in hurry. we'd get ont and
relieve the poor beast :" saying his the two
"friends," whom the Deacon did not rcroe-
nlzc from a side OF sole leather. vamostl, 1t
the hint of one Of his best COWS being about tn
20 off the handle the deacon was up and
dressed, and equipped! Cor al Instantaneous
investigation of hi cow-In">cs The old lady
turned out. aroused III" men folks. and after
much ado the household was nn the qpj r,,-c
and following the halftrozcn and guivrInr
deacon i'll his survey.
Cows are all right in here. none loose,
said the Deacon, through his chattrring teeth;
wonder if them pcsAv fcllcrs could be hoax
in on me: must. no COWS down. or IN danger
here. either" he continued. looking around {
second floor of his COW stables.
(which cows chokcd 2" baNicd the Old la
lv from the house.
None on EN- as src." said the Deacon
sthrm fcllcrS were fool;n' on me; rot en-
OUGHT to set the dogs on EN-. comm here III
time Ought, and SIGH night. to rouse hon
c>t folks out OF bed with >ich lie in thei
mouths as that
To saw all hands felt 'rilcd up az well a
chilled TO the bone, is quite rcconcilcahlc t
ones common sense. but where the joint OF
such an unfeeling joke could lie, was nnac
rountablc. or rather fo.gv, to Deacon Dashe
and his dairy corps but feeling uneasy abou
the matter, the Deacon was up bright and cal
" in the morning, and upon investigation, I
his no small chagrin. he found his hest co
chokcd, me rags lnri"q j',mme'i a rf,nen3n'
Zig Aeet in The spo"'ot ne ya'" Pump-Bos'o
Fdp"r.
DUTY OF PARENTS.