The American patriot., 1856-01-12
The Household Sacrifice


phens' last novel, "The Old Homestead"
swell, as l was sayin', when was GAL
my father and mother moved from old Connec-
ticut into the Lackawana valley in Psnnsylva-
mia, with ten little children, all younger than
was. They had lost every thing, and went out
into that dark, piny region to begin life agin.
"Wef, they gota patch Of wild land, partly
on credit built log house, and went to work
Before the year was out my father died, and
we found it hard draggin' to git along without
crops, and deep in debt. We give up every
thing TO pay store debts and should have felt
as rich as Kings, if we could only have raised
what the law allowed US. But we had no bar
rel Of beef and pork, which even the law leaves
to poor family, but we lived on rye and iniun
with little molasses when We couldn't ret
milk
"The law allowed us two pigs and a COW,
with her calf Our cow was grand good
critter, capital for milk, and gentle as a lamb,
you don't know how the children took to her.
and well they might she more than half sup
ported them.
Marin did her best for the children, and
worked as hard as she did, spinning and card.
ing wool, which she wove into cloth ON hand
loom.
swell, in year or two, the calf grew into
fine beifer and we calculated on having milk
from her after little. So we began to fatten
up the old COW, though hain't no idea that
we should ever have made up our minds to
kill her
"Therc was some debts, still, but we had
given up every thing once, and neither marin
nor thought Of anybody's coming on us agn.
So we were proud enough Of our two cows,
and as long as the children had plenty of milk,
never thought of wanting beef and the old COW
might have lived to this time for what know
if we'd been left to ourselves"
Here Salinas voice became disturbed, and
the girls settled themselves in an attitude of
profound attention.
"Well, as was sayin', things began to
brighten with us, when one day, in came the
town constable, with printed writ in his hand.
He'd found out that we had one more COW
than the law allowed, and came after it.
81 thought poor marin would n-gone crazy,
she felt SO bad and no wonder! with all them
children and she widdcr! 1t came hard, |
can tell you.
"But the constable was determined, and
what could she do but give up There stood
the little children huddled together on the
hearth, crying as if their hearts were broke, at
the bare thought of having the COW drove off,
and there was poor marin, with her apron up
to her face, a-sobbin' SO pitiful!
81 couldn't stand it; my heart rose like a
yeasting of bread; determined that them
children and that hard-workin' woman should
have enough to eat constable or no constable
"Wat" says l to the constable, till &c
and drive up the COW she's hard to find
"Iie sat down. Marin and the children be-
gan to sob and cry agin. tell you, gals, i,
was cruel as the grave.
81 went to the wood-pile and took the axe
f.om between two logs. Across the clearing
and just in the edge of the woods saw the old
cow and hcifer browsing on the underground
The old COW had bell on and every tinkle a.
she moved her head went to my heart. had
to think of marin and the children before
could get courage to go on, and with that to
encourage me, | shook and trcmbled like a
murderer, all the way acros the clearing.
The old COW and the hcilrr were close b,
each other, browsing on the sweet birch under
growth that grew thick there. When camt
up they both stopped and stood looking at me
with their great earnest eyes, so wishfully, as
if they wondere which was after.
Here Salina dashed her hand across her ewes
and the color rushed into her face, as il she
were opposing pressure of tears with great
bravery.
"It was enough to break any ones heart tc
mouth, coming toward me SO innocent She
thought-poor old critter-that I'd come te
milk her but instead Of the milk pail | had
that axe in my hand. She couldn't a-knowr
what it meant, and yet, as true as live, il
seemed as if she did.
"There she stood, looking in my face, won
dering, | hain't no doubt, why didn't si1
down on a log as usual, and fix my pail-and
there stood, trembling before the poor dumt
animal, ready to fall down on my knees ant
ask pardon for my cruel thoughts, and ther'
was the hcifer looking on us both-oh, gals
gals | hope none of you will ever have to g
through thing like that
The girls thus addressed were very still, ant
sob or two was just heard while the tear
lcaped like haii-stones down Salinas cheeks.
MMv heart misriye me-I Mould mt done il