Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-01-18
THE HOUSEHOLD SACRIFICE
From the old Homestead

We'll, as was a saying when was gal,
my father and mother moved from old Con
necticut into the Backawsns valley In Penn
ylvania, with ten little children, all younger
tnan was. They had lost everything, aud
life agin. f'-' ''e'"- " "0b'A
well they got patch Of wild land, partly
pasn'. az putt big house, and went 70 work
| .ne year was out father died, and We
@ ,ounu nara dragging to get along without
stePe' anu oeep In debt. We gave Cd every
thlng 70 pay store debts and snould be-o Ga
as rich as kings, if we could only have rsiSeS
wnst the law allowed us. But we had no bar-
rel Of pork and beef, which even ths -
leaves to a poor family, but we lived ON we
and injun, with little molasses when We
couldnt get milk.
The law allowed us two pigs and COW
with her calf. Our COW was a grand good
critter, capital for milk, and gentle AZ a lsmb:
you don't know how the children took 20 her
and well they might-she more than half
supported them
Z" Marin did her best for the children. and +
worked rs hard as she did, spinning and card .
ing wool, which she wove into cloth on hand
loom
"Well, in year or two, the calf grew into
hne helfer, and we calculated on having
MIX from her after q little. So we began 10
iat up the old COW, though hadn't no idea
tnSt we should ever have made up our minds
| 10 XIII her.
There was some debts, still, but we had
gwen up everything once, and neither marin
nor thought Of anybody's coming on us arip.
90 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 hadn't been left TO ourselves.
| Here Salina' voice became disturbed, and
the glrls settled themselves in an attitude Of
| profound attention
| Wen, as L was saying, things began 10
brighten with us, when one day in came the
toWn constable, with a printed writ in HE
He'd found out that we sd one more Gov
than the law allowed, and came after il.
thought poor marm would s-gone crazy,
she telt so bad and no wonder, with all them
children, and she a widder It came hard
can tell you.
a" But the constable was determined. and
nay could she do but give up. There stood
net little children, hUddled together on the
nearth, crying az If their hearts were broke.
al the bare thought Of having the COW drore
of, and there was poor marin, with her snron
up 10 her face, sObbing so pitiful
couldn I stand II my heart rose like
yeastlng OF bread-, L determined that th.m
children and that hard-working woman chould
nave enough TO eat, constable or no constable
Walt, said L to the constable. till I 60
de sat down. Marin and the children be
gan TO sob and cry again 1 tell, you, gals, it
was cruel as the grave
Il went to the wood pile and took the axe
from between two legs. Across the clearing
ana just in the edge of the wood. saw the
Old COW and heifer browsing on the under
growth. The old COW had bell on and every
inkle ss she moved her head went TO nv
heart had TO thiuk Ct marin and the chill
dren before could get courage to 20 on, aud
with that TO encourage me, | shook and
trem6lsd, like murderer, ell the way across
the clearing.
The old COW and the heifer were close By
each other, browsing on the sweet birch un-
dergrouth that grew thick there. When
came mp they both stopped and stood looking
at me with their great earnest eyes, so wish
fully, as II they wondered which L was after"
Here salins dashed a hand a,ross her eyes
and the color rushed into her face, as if she
were opposing pressure Of tears with grost
bravery.
I" 1t was enough to break any ones heart to
see that old COW, with the birch twigs in her
mouth, coming toward me so innocent. She
old critter-that I'd come to
milk her; but instead of the milk-pail had
that axe in my hand. She could Mt a-known
what il meant, and yet, as true as 1 live, it
seemed as if she did
"T There she stood, looking in my face, won
dering, hain't no doubt, why 1 didn't sit
down on log as usual, and fI my paiI-and
there l stood, trembling, before the poor dumb
ask pardon for my cruel thoughts, and there
was the heifer looking on us both-0h, gals,
gals, hope none of you will ever have to 20
through thing like that"
6 The girls thus addressed were very still,
and sob or two was just heard while the
tears leaPed like hail-stones down Salinas
cheeks.
my heart misgive mel would mt a-done
IT. Those great innocent eyes seemed as II
they were human; / grew 80 weak that the
axe almost fell L turned 10 60 back ready 70
starve or any thing rather than look that ami
NAL In the face again with the axe in my
hand. Yes, / turned away, but there half
across the clearing was the constable with the
writ flying out in his hand. Ny blood rose
L thought of the children with nothing to eat
L don't know what / did mt think of. He was
walking fast, turned-tbe COW was right be-
fore me. Oh, girls, there she stood so quiet,
chewing the green birch leaves L was like
baby, the axe would mt rise from the ground,
/ could not do il.
He called out, / heard his step in the IN
derbrush. Then my strength few back l
was wild-strong as a lion, but my eyes seemed
hot with sparks Of FIRE. shut them, the axe
swung back-s crash, a deep, wild below,
white star on her forehead. When opened
my eyes she was looking at me, and so her
stiffened in their film. 1 had to hold myself
up by the axe-helve with both hands. IL
seemed to me as if was dying too.
"f What have you been about where is the
COW? p said the constable, in passion as he
camsup.
-" There said /, pointing to the poor, muir
dered critter with my finger, the law, you
say, won't allow us two cows, but il does give
US barrel of beef. This is our beef-touch
il if you daren
"He skulked away and 1 fell down on my
knees by the poor crittsr my own hands had
killed. 1t seemed as If my heart would
break. There she lay with the fresh leaves
in her mouth, so still, and there stood tho
heifsr, looking at me steadily as if she wanted
to speak, and couldn't make her understand
why it had TO be done. Oh, gals, gals, 1t was
tough"
GOLDEN WEDDING The iftieth snniyerss-
- L. n