National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-07-30

ly.
Get up! get up cried the ruth
less Bell we're farmers now, and
you must come out and help me
milk! 1t will be such fun!
In the rain p
We're neither sugar nor salt
we shall not melt. Get your aqua
scutlm, and come quick =
Miss Bell looked the ideal of res
olutlon and enterprise as she stalked
INTO the barnyard, swinging the
shining tin pail in one hand and the
threelegged stool in the other.
Katie Appleton looked on in admi-
ration.
when did you learn to milk ,Bellr
| never learned
How can you do it, then!'
Why, it's easy enough, of course.
Anybody can milk. This calf has
got to come out firstr
Miss Bell advanced to the little
red calf who was nesting close to
his mother.
Get along, Bossie' she said,
brandlshing the milking, stool.
But to her amazement the brin.
died COW lowered her horns and ran
furiously at the disturber of her
darllng's peace. Miss Bell scram-
bled over the wall more nimbly than
gracefully.
I'm afraid she's vicious, said
Miss Bell dubiously. I'VE won't
disturb the calf Just nOw.'
SO, descending once more when
the belligerent animal had appar-
entity calmed down, Miss Bell select
ed the mildest-eyed COW she could
find, and sat down, adjusting her
pail as she had seen in engIavingS.
why don't the cow stand still 2
she demanded, after having several
times jumped up and followed the
bovine animal around. A COW is
a very trying quadruped Get
some hay, Katie, and feed her. I'm
afraid that unprincipled old Mr..
Tully deceived us when he said there
were three milch.cows; the more |
pull the more the milk won't come =
Try again, said Katie, encour.
agingly. Pull harder
But the COW resenting this mode
of treatment, deliberately kicked
over the pail, whisked her tail in
Miss Bells eyes and walked away.
'Oh dear, dear 2 faltercd Katie.
: | wish we had asked Mr.. Tully to
stay day or two and teach us how
to milk =
AS if I'd ask man to teach me
anything, cried Bell disdaintully.
If he can do it, guess | can! Ill
try again by-and-by. when the COW
gets a little better tempered. Let's
90 i'll and get breakfast, Katie.
Here are half IL dozen eggs i'll the
hay under the mangcr. Very care.
less of the hens to leave them round
in this sort of fashion . shall have
up row of pine boxes filed with
nice clean straw before I'm twenty
tour hours older" "
Perhaps they would prefer the
ha y said Katie, obviously.
Il don't care what they prefer,
said Miss Bell, dogmaticalIy they
must adapt themselves to my prefer.
cnces, or I'll know the reason why.
But, as | was saying, here's the ma
terial for an omclct so we'll go in
and make the coffee and breakfast
like a pair of queens.
The coffee was made-withOut
milk-and the II orning meal soon
disposed of. Katie remained in.
doors to sweep up and wash the
dishes, while Miss Bell again sailed
forth to investigate the various of.
fees and buildings which skirted
the barn.
In "A few minutes she rc.appeared,
all dripping, like Undine of old.
Katie, she cried, brcathlessly.
displaying the pearl.white treasures
of her apron, I'vc found two more
settlements of eggs.
Lets have sCmc custards, -sug.
gcsted Katie.
Custards, indeed ! No, no; |
prefer spring chickens. I'm going
to set a hen.
'Set n henr repeated Katie, in
hcwildcrmcn..
1--WE caught the most mothcrly.
looking old hen YOU ever saw, and
shut her up under barrel, went
on Bell, cXultautly, 'and now Pm
going to fix the nest. In Just tMen.
ty-ouc days from now, Katie, we
shall be feeding our chickens.
Shall wcr Katie Appleton did
not disbelievc, but perhaps she
doubted.
Half an hour aiterward. when the
rain held up a little, and here and
there glimpse of dazzling blue
pceped between the riffs in the gray
sky overhead, Katie tripped out into
the barn, where Miss Bell stood in
an anxious attitude over u neat
square box she had placed on a
beam.
BELL y she cried ) what arc you
doing p
'rm trying to keep this hen on
her nest, said Miss Bell, turning n
perturbcd face toward her cousin.
Nine times she In flown cacklng
off, and nine time I've caught her
and put her back again. We have
broken three of the eggs, but they
are easily replaced. 1t is like the
old story Of Bruce and the spider,
and | ,0iU conquer I've made
| .I...t,l., a., ,y;tt N han III