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

And the hens dear me 2 went on
Miss Bell. : | have such trouble about
their setting
Give 'em good ducking under the
pump recommended the farmer. That
is sure cure for them as wants to set'
But they don't want to set, interrupt
ed Bell that is the trouble Old Speckle
has broken all her eggs trying to get out
If they don't want to, they won't said
the farmer, and it's no use talking
I IN SEQ whether they will or not said
Bell, compressing her lips tightly.
The farmer looked somewhat awed at
her imperious voice and gesture, and
glanced uneasily out of the window for
change of subject.
What ye been doing out in the door
yard p he asked in some surprise.
wanted to plant some candy-tuft and
miguonnette seeds said Katie meekly;
so l dug up all those little onions with
the sprouting tops.
Onions . cried Mr.. Tully Why,
them was Jerushy's double-tulips- and hya-
oi'iSti ihSatie looked at Ben in consternatiou
You told me they were onions, Bell, and
you've got handful of them boiling in
the pot with maccaroni and sliced carrots
now, she said, reproachfully. But Bell
pretended not to hear.
What do you think of the strawberry
bed, Mr.. Tully p she said, eOmplacently.
You haven't been disturbing the roots
digging round them at this time of year :?
he said.
Yes. | have said Miss Bell. L did
not like to see them struggling about so
slovenly; so | dug every root up, and
planted it neatly over again
Land Of Goshen = said Farmer Tully,
/ | believe ye are crazy. And what's them
pots in the window? POsy seeds ?
Why said Miss Bell, with conscious
pride, 1t was too wet for me to work in
the field this morning, so I've started my
sweet-corn in crooks, so as to be ahead of
: the season.
Mr.. Tully turned Of deep apoplectic
> purple in consequence of trying to convert
burst of laughter into a fit of coughing
But how be ye going to get your potato
crop into the ground ? he demanded ;
women can't plow.'
L don't know why they can't, said
Miss Bell. argumentatively
Because they are women said the
conservative farmer Amt that reason
enough ?
Not by any means said Miss Bell. l
am going to follow the example of the Ger
man women, who work out in the open
t fields just like men. Germany is great
country
] | should think it must be- said Mr.
Tully, obviously.
l And he took his leave, after some very
kindly advice, which Miss Bell resolved
! mentally not to take.
t So the days went by at Elm Brook
by which euphonious title Miss Martin had
j decided to call her farm-until one eve
ming, returning late from a survey of her
r premises, she came on Katie Appleton
y leaning over the stile talking TO somebody
Katie she cried. warningly, as the
e conscience-striken little damsel futtered
: toward her with both hands full of the
! lovely pink blossoms Of the wild azalea,
Z . was that man you were talking to p
7 lit was only the rector, Bell fal-
e tered Katie, to know why we were not
5 at church all last month
Miss Bell was not exactly satisfied with
a her cousins explanation; but she said
, nothing. Verbal silence, does not restrict
n the freedom of thought, and within herself
1 Bell Martin was by no means at ease.
The rector she repeated. "A rector
= is only a man, after all-and l should
t think Katie had had enough of the false
e hearts and hollow professions Of men
But there it is-some people never will
= learn by experience
j And between the obstinacy of her
Mercer potatoes, which absolutely declined
2 to come up, and the ill-advised thoughtless.
ness of Kate in persisting in any inter
a course with the forbidden ranks, Miss Bel
was really quite miserable that night.
d She had cause to be more miserable yet
: in a day or two-for in a hand to hand
d encounter with refractory pig, who had
!; the good taste to prefer the vegetable
n garden to the precincts of his own pen, she
| sprained her ankle.
9 What are we to do now ? she groanet
when, by dint of much fortitude and reso
d luton, she had hobbled TO the old chintz
= covered lounge.
# Don't you think hazarded Katie
d that we had better send for the rector7'
e The rector, indeed = cried Bell, irasci
bly,. i think the doctor would be grea
!. deal more to the purpose"
The doctor came so did Mr.. Milburn
:. the rector, with his brother, a handsome
d square-shouldered man of forty.
n thought said Mr.. Hugh Milburn
apologetically, that you might like som,
" one to have an eye to things around tn,
a place until you get better. June is baC
month for working farmers to fall sick.
e1 Il am sure I'm much obliged to you,
said Bell, despondently. If Katie haC
e the spirit of gray kitten she could at
tend to matters and things herself bu
e she screams if the COW shakes her horns
c and is actually afraid of the China geese
e The rector looked admiringly at Katie
s whose bushes at these enumerations of he
i faults were certainly rather becoming, ant
Mr.. Milburn assured Bell that he would
d look after the interests of her agriculture
oemesnes.
L like that man. said the unwilling in
e valid when Hugh Milburn had gone out t,
a look after the cattle, anj his brother haC
L also departed. There's no nonsense abou
him
Who, the rector? innocently questioned
@ Katie.
. Mo- tartly responded her cousin, {.
= mean his brother, Mr.. Hugh Milburn' =
I The early summer dawned bright anc
= y soft over Elm Brook. Old Speckle hav
Il ing maintained a troubled existence unde
the board for some weeks, suddenly decidet
!; to set in good earnest, and divers othe
= biddies followed her example. Mercel
u potatoes sprouted freely above the earth
the sweet-corn transplanted from Mis-
y Bells earthenware crooks died and mad,
= no sign, but the later crops made the fur