The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-01-08

but hustle, running, and hurry every mo-
ment. In the midst of it all, little Nellie,
with baby mischief, contrived to pull plate
from the dinner table, and upset pail of
water, for both of which mishaps Agnes
was roundly rated, and the disfguring sun
bonnet twitched roughly from her head by
the angry hand of her ireful mother.
keep that old rag off your head, so you
may see the length Of your nose. One could
upset the house and you would not know it.
Have your eyes open and see what is going
on. | guess your complexion will not suffer
il the sun does shine on you. You're get
ting so lazy aud careless of late, L declare
you worry the life and soul out of me with
your sighs and airs" said Mrs Hatfield,
throwing the obnoxious bonnet on the floor,
darting, as she whisked out of the kitchen,
a witherng glace at the poor, patient Agnes
silently changing Nelles wet apron. Ilav-
ing done so she quietly began drying up the
water which ran in all directions over the
floor, with look of such hopeless misery
in the tear filing eyes and accomplishing
face, painful for one to see in so young
creature, telling how cruelty the bitter
words hurt her heart. .Aggie never replied
to the daily scorn and contempt hurled
at her; only the fearful look told how deep
| y she felt the sting and hated her loyeless
| home.
Slowly the long July day dragged On. The
| last task finished, Agnes slipped up to her
| little chamber, tired aud spiritless, to drop
| her weary head on the hard pillow, with no
| pleasant thoughts of tomorrow, no cheering
| hopes, no smiling future. The moonlight
fell gloomily over the patch work quilt, and
across the sweet face of the Ealr young
sleeper. A pair of brown hands folded
above her quiet, beating heart, and Agnes
Willard slept calmly and peacefully, uncon-
scious of tolls and reproaches, with the pop
lar leaves shivering phantom-like in the pale
mellow light Of the summer moon, throwing
dancing shadows through the uncurtained
window, Pickering elfnly over the humble
! bed and high, old-fash0npd chest of draw.
ers Many times had she watched the fan
tostic motion Of the leaves when she lay
slpepless and solitary in her drcary little
room, the hazel eyes fixed absently on the
/ sivery foliage of the tall trees glistening in
| the ftiul light, or saw the carly morning
| creep reluctantly through their branches -
| Morning how she dreaded its coming, usher
ing in another day of ceaseless toll and harsh
rebuke.
Her work being more arduous, Of course
her mothers tongue took a corresponding
degree of sharpness and luency nearly driv-
ing Agnes to peration-dlamisSing her
with rough
"Take yourself off TO bed now, and see
that you are up in the morning early-miud
ear!y!"
Gladly her daughter obeyod the ungracioas
permission, almost praying that the morning
might never dawn.
Come, Ag ont of bed with you! Hurry
and dress, and don't he all day about it; be
spry now, po!' We're the words that urous-
ed her from u sound slumber in the
early gimmer Of the next morning. The
accompanying voice Of Hatfield called out
rudey---
Cup with you. you lazy rascal,! Come,
Al, bounce out. stir your atumps, John, and
get the cattle up"
A great bustling and cracking of straw
told that John and Al were actually, "Stir-
ing their stumps, according to the paternal
command.
Agnes sprang up quickly thrusting q pair
of little stockingless feet into couple o!
heavy cow hide shoes, slipped on the shabby
dress, snoothed the top OF her curly head
with piece Of old comb, and her morning
toilet was completed. She took Lor bath at
the pump. In ten minutes she had milk
pail on her arm going toward the barn-yard.
Hrs. Hatfield, who was sIimming milk in
the ch1ese-roOm, could not refrain from Civ
ing Agnes chance shot as she passed the
open door:
This IS early getting up, ! must say--al-
most sunrise. The cows ought TO have
been in the pasture this half hour. do be-
lipve you would sleep all day if no one call
ed you. The boys are just the same. | de-
spair-"
Agnes passed on out of hearing, not car
ing to listen to further invectiveS regarding
herself, or the nature OF the despair TO
which the boys were driving her mother
The foggy atmosphere obscurcd the rose
and orange tints lowering low in the eastern
sky, showing where the coming sun would
soon burst in splendor above the horizon,
disspating the damp, smoky haze lowering
over the earth. But Aggie did not care fol
the blushing SUM Use; she was too sleepy
and too familiar with old Soils coun
tenance to get Into estacies over his getting
up.
Barnyards and mlk-maids all sound very
nice in poetry and romances The ideal il
romantic and pleasing, no doubt, but thu
reality is very different. Your real barn
yards are often muddy, abounding with un
pleasant noise and odor. Ideal COWS arr
: mild, inoh'ansiVe creatures, incapable of be
ing other than gentle and poetical Now
many of the real cows milk hard and kicl
annoyingly, not at all well-behaved animals
planting-not unfrequently, stubborn foo
in the brmming pail, or suddenly overturn
. ing the luckless mixer The matter.ol-lac
cows have a way of slappng their ever-activ
tails in the face of the pretty maid, who
; not--out of poetry-always pretty, and Q
e throwing their huge heads suddenly back o.
: their sides, evidently to obliterate tOrmen
ing fly, OR to lick some particular spot
their sharp horns swinging around in danger
e Gus proximity to the startled milk-maid
: head. Sometimes the most demure lookin
j, COW will abruptly walk away with insultib
n GOODNESS, quietly staring with great huma
r eyes at the surprised mixer.
Aggie could see nothing to rave about j
y the COW yard, as her mother termed it-nOtl
y ing romantic in the big load of fragrant ha
/ that stood majestically on the born foor.-
: She had inhaled the odor of new mown ha
= not Lubins extract, she had never eve
J. heard of that perfume-every summer of hC