Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-07-21
Misfellanu.
How il Ended.

She was a rosy-cheeked. SQUARED y-made
woman, somewhere about fve-and-thirty,
with merry black eyes, short curling hair,
and resolved expression of countenance.
But, dear me, Bell, you're not going
out into the wilderness actually to lire p
We'll, I've no idea of dying there,
systematically replied Miss Bell
Mrs. Parkesworth Pryce stood in open
eyed amazement, her garnet-colored moire-
antique dress trailing over the carpet, and
her lace carriage shawl festooned grace
fully over one shoulder-the very persona
fcation and embodiment of brainless
votary of the latest fashion.
.My goodness gracious said Mrs.
Pryce, feebly, as if the magnitude of the
\idea rendered it impossible for her mind
y grapple with it.
-. Yes said Miss Bell, Il am. And
what's more. Katie Appleton is going with
r~me You see, Mrs. Pryce, I'm not so
young as l was, and poor dear Katie was
| disappointed when that young scamp,
Harry Messenger, went South and married
Julia Levy, so we've concluded to retire
on farm of our own in western New
York, where we can raise calves and chick
ems, and grow our own asparagus and
strawberries-a place, in short, where We
can be entirely independent of men,
Dear me- said Mrs. Pryce, what a
very Quixotic plan, to be sure.'
1t may be Quixotic.' said Miss Bell,
rubbing her chin thoughtfully !; but we're
going to give it a trial, nevertheless, Katie
and |.
You will be heartily sick of it, and
come back to New York in less than a
month predicted Mrs. Pryce.
No, we shall not said Miss Bell Mar
tin, resolutely. L hope I'm old enough
to know my own mind, and Katie will be
governed entirely by me-
And in spite of the pathetic and oft-re-
peated remonstrances of Mrs. Pryce and
others of her stripe, Miss Bell Martin and
her cousin, Kate Appleton, a shy little
maiden, with modest blue eyes and face
like peach blossom, packed their guitar
and canaries and croquet and band boxes,
and went out West.
Isn't this jolly? :? cried Bell, warming
her plump hands before the blaze of huge
wood-ire on the night of their arrival.
Just see the fringe of moss on the end of
that log. And such picturesque red
brick hearth y
.Oh yes, certainly said Kate, timidly
but don't you think it's little lonely,
Isabel?'
We don't mind that, child said Bell,
briskly; we're going to be company for
ourselves
Are we2
Why. of course we are. Just wait till
we get our fower-beds planted. and the
L. IL.
, hatched, and we shall have no time to
,,k about being lonesome .
I'D Miss Bel frrr-pecI uo Lr-..sy
fpeSh supply of wood from the covered
she'd back Of the door for a fundamental
element of her dreams Of rural felicity had
been the strict interdiction of any thing in
the similitude of servant.
For I've been quite sufficiently Irish
ridden in New York = she had said.
This IS luxury went on Bell, basking
before the genial blaze for the April
even-tide was chill and raw. l feel just
like Robinson Crusoe on his desert island
and
Hush " cried Katie, nervously, grasp.
ing her cousins arm, what's that 2
What's what? p
That noise Oh, Bell, if there ShOuLO
be ghost in this ruinous old house"
oh, fddle-stick y said the matter-of
fact Bell it's only the COW looking in a
the easement don't you see her horns?
Miss Bell rushed out of the door to rou
the enemy
Such dear little dot of red calf "a
there is in the barn-yardi y she cried
ecstatically, as she returned. But We
must take it away Tomorrow
'Oh, don't take it away-the dear little
thingn cooed Katie Let us be LITTLE
considerable
And have no milk to use " scofeC
Bell. That would be nice farming.
saw a fine lot of hens in the barn-yard thi'
afternoon, Katie eggs are fifty cents {
dozen, and spring chickens forty cents 3
pound. We shall make our fortunes
Kate. And old Mr.. Tully says straw.
berries bring fifty cents a quart, and the
asparagus yielded hundred and sever
bunches last year at forty cents a bunch
And butter dear, there's no saying
what we shall realize out of our butter
with three cows =
To be sure said Katie, sympathetical
ly.
It was raining hard the next morning
when they walked up. Now, if the agri
cultural world was all made up Of leafy
dells where the drops tinkled musically
as they fell, and opening butter-cups auC
violets, this would be all very well but
rain on the roof Of leaky farmhouse anC
rain in a country barn-yard are decidedly
lacking in the elements of romance.
Do let me seep just five minutes long
err pleaded Katie, piteously.
Get up get up cried the ruthles:
Bell were farmers now, and you mus
come out and help me milk 1t will be
such fun.
In the rain?'
Were neither sugar nor salt-we shall
not melt. Ge, your aqua scutum, anC
come quick y
Miss Bell looked the ideal of resolution
and enterprise as she stalked into the barr
yard. swinging the shining tin pail in on'
hand and the three-legged stool in thu
other. Katie Appleton looked on in ad
miration.
When did you learn to milk, BeilT
never learned
How can you do it, then ?
Why, it's easy enough, of course. An,
body can milk This calf has got 70 COM
out hTSt
Miss Bell advanced to the little red cal
who was nesting close to his mother.
Get along, Bessie " she said, brandish
ing the milking-stooL.
But to her amazement the brindled Gov
lowered her horns and ran furiously at th
dhturber of her darling's peace. Mis-
Bell scrambled over the wall more nimbl,
than gracefully.
I'm afraid she's vicious said Miss Bel
obviously We won't disturb the cal