Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-03-10
The Spotted Heifer.
by CLARA p. BERRY.

job llcnly and jack Wade were neighbor.
and intimate friends each owning small farm.
adjoining on the outskirts of a quiet country
village Neither Hcaly nor Wade was ever
( fond Of labor, and far better enjoyed pleas
ant gossip or a good joke with my jolly host
of the " Red Lion" on a hot summers day,
with a mug Of good ale, than to be raking
/ hay or tilling the soil at home but owing to
| the careful management of thrifty wives, each
had managed thus far, to keep about square
with the world but never a dollar had they
| laid by for rainy day. For what would
be the use - argued job, "my farm will carry
me through I've no children, therefore in
tend to take life easy" and John Wade said
amen to jobs argument.
Now it had been currently reported among
| the villagers that neither job nor Jack were
over scrupuIous in their dealings and trades,
and were frequently heard to boast in public
over good bargain aud call it an excellent
joke but there is such thing as carrying a
joke too far especially when it comes too near
home.
One stormy day as Henly was on his way
to the village inn to drink mug of good ale
with the villagers whom he always found con-
gregated there in stormy weather, he met
" Chubbs," the butchers boy, carrying nice
fat turkey weighing some dozen pounds.
Good day nice looking turkey that for
whom are you carrying it2"
Mr.. Wade" said Chuhbs innoceutly /;
he just bought it and I'm to take it to his
house for dinner. He's down yonder."
There's some mistake" said job, chuck
ling to himself. 81 Just came from his
house, and his wife is cooking fish for dinner"
you take the turkey to my house and tell my
wife to cook it to-day therell be plenty of
time | shan't be home before two o'clock :"
But he paid cash for it," said the boy
hesitating."
"Oh never mind that he and have an
understanding together you carry the tur-
key 70 my house III make It all right
with Jack there shan't be any trouble about
it,"
Accordingly the turkey found its way into
Mr.. Henly's kitchen, and in due season on
his table. When Jack Wade went home his
olfactories were greeted with the pungent
odor Of stale pork and salt fish, instead of the
delicious fragrance of turkey. What does
this mean, wife ?" he said with terrible
scow on his face Where's that turkey ?"
Turkey hayn't seen any turkey"
Hay'nt seen a turkey HASN'T Chubbs
been here2'
No; no one has been here but the post
boy to leave the paper"
Well, it this don't beat all" said Wade,
scratching his forehead as if to brighten his
ideas stop, now | think understand
llenly was at the Red Lion this morning, and
now think of it, I'll wager twenty apples
he met Chubbs, and finding out where that
turkey was going, sent it on to his house; its
just like him. A pretty good joke too |
think, and no doubt he thinks so too--but I'll
pay him in his own coin, | know Of Joke
worth two Of this Now, wife, you Just keep
quiot-l enjoy a good joke as well as any
one, but there's such a thing as going bit
TOO far; but never mind-my chance will
come next and before long too"
The next time the neighbors met, Wade
made no mention of the lost turkey and Henly
began to think he had been deceived by the
butchers boy,
1t would be a pretty hard joke on me i'll
Wade hadn't paid for that bird after all, and
the bill should be sent in to me--wouldn't he |
get the laugh on to me ?" But at the end Of
a month, MS no bill came, IIeny began to feel
quite easy feeling assured the boy had told
the truth-still he thought it very singular
that neither Wade nor his wife ever mention
ed the affair to him or his neighbors, as he
felt satisfied had they done so, il would have
been joked and laughed over at the Red Lion,
for who does not know, in quiet country
village, how rapidly jokes, scandal aud gossip
are carried from one to another until not a
man, woman or child but what is familiar
with it before it is week old?
Early the following autumn Wades wife
her husband there was hole in the
pork barrel, or in other words the pork was
all gone she had come TO the bottom Of the |
barrel and found nothing but salt.
Now Wade had always argued that it
would never do to patronize the butchers
stall much poor farmers could not afford it |
it was too early in the season to lay in his
pork for the winter. But what was to be done |
meat of some kind must be had. happy
thought struck him he had never settled |
With llenly, though the turkey affair was not |
forgotten, Here was an opportunity to have
his revenge.
Jack Wade knew Ilenly had fine heifer
lbout two years old feeding in pasture ad-
dining his, who had become quite trouble
some of late by jumping over the enclosure
o find better feed than Henly's pasture af-
orded. Now know what I'll do-Henly
$ about out of pork and he won't scruple to
10 mean thing for gain, I'll 60 down
here tonight and tell him know of a nice
Goung COW who has strayed into my pasture