Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-09-22

caliy. - -
it was raining hard the next morn.
ing when they woke up. Now, II the
agricultural world was all made up OF
lcafv dells, where the drops tinkled
musically as they fell, and opening
5uttercups and violc;s, this would be
all very well, but rain on the roof of a
leaky farmhouse, and rain in the
country barn-va.d, are decidedly lack
Ing in the elements Of romance.
DO let me sleep just five minutes
longer, pleaded Katie, piteously.
Get up! get up. cried the ruthless
Bell, were farmers now, and you
must come out and help me milk 1t
will be such fun
In the rain.
We're neither sugar nor salt-we
shall not melt. Get your aqua scutum,
and come quick y
Miss Bell looked the ideal Of esolu-
tion and enterprise as she stalked into
the barn-yard. swinging the pail in one
hand and the three-icgged stool in the
other. Kate Appleton looked on in
admiration.
Where did you lean 20 milk. Bell 7
Il neve. learned
How can you do il, them?
WHY, it is easy enough. Of course.
Anybody can milk. This calf has got
! to come ont first
Miss Bell advanced to the little red
calf. who was nesting close to Its
mother.
Get along, Bossie.' she said, brand
ishng the milking-stool.
But 10 her amazcment the brindled
/ COW lowered her horns and ran furious
ly at the distrrber of her darling's
peace. Miss Bell scrambled over the
wall more nimbly than gracefully.
/ 4 am afraid she's vicious. said Miss
Bell, obviously. We won't disturb
the calf just now
50, descending once more when the
bell,gerent animal had apparently
cal:ned down, Miss Bell selected the
mildest-eyed COW she could find, and
sat down, adjusting her pail as she had
seen it adjusted in all engravings.
Why don't the COW stand still:' she
demanded. after having several times
jumped up and followed the bovine
animal around. "A COW is ycfy tiy-
Ing quadruped! Get some hay, Katie,
and feed her. l am afraid that un-
principled Nj. Tully deceived us when
ha saiH th.rn yhrnn p,tt,b
the more I pull, the more the milk
won't come
Try again said Katie, encouraging
ly. Pull harder
But the COW, resenting this mode of
treatment, deliberately kicked over the
pail. whisked her tail in Miss Bell.
eyes, and walked off.
'Oh, dea., dearv faltered Kate. 4
wish we had asked Mr.. Tully TO stay a
day or two and teach us how tn milk r
AS if I'd ask a man 10 teach Inc
anything cried Bell, disdainfully. If
he can do it l guess l can: Ill try
again by and by. when the COW gets a
little better tempered Let's 20 in
and breakfast, Katie. Here are half
dozen eggs in the hay manger. Very
careless Of the hens to leave their eggs
| around in this sort OF fashion.
shall have up a row ofpine boxes, filled
with straw, before l am twenty four
hours older.
Perhaps tnev would prefer hay,
| said Katie, obviously.
Il don't care what they PREFER said
Miss Bell, dogmatically, they must
adapt themselves to my preferences.
or III know the reason why. But. as
l was saying, here's the material for an
omelet, SO we'll 60 in and breakfast
like pair Of queens
The coffee was made-without milk
and the morning meal was soon dis
posed OF, Katie remaining in n-doOrs to
sweep up and wash the dishes, while
Miss Bell again sailed forth to invest;-
gate the various offices and buildings
which skirted the barn.
In a few minutes she rc-appeared.
dripping like Undine of old.
Katie she cried, breathlessly, dis
playing the pearl-white treasures of
her apron, I've found two more set
Elements Of eggs.
Let's have some custards,' sugge st.
ed Katie.
'Custards, indeed! No, no, l prefer
spring chickens. Katie. l am going to
set hen
Set hen? repeated Katie in bewil.
derment.
'Tve caught the most motherly.look.
ing old hen you ever saw, and shut her
up in BARREL went on Miss Bell. ex.
ultingly, 'and now I'm going to fix the
nest. In just twenty-one days from
now, Katie, we shall be feeding our
chickens
Shall weY Katie Appleton did not
disbelieve, perhaps, but sic doubted.
Half an hour afterwards, when the
rain held up q little, and here and there
glimpse of dazzling sunlight peeped
through the riffs in the sky overhead,
Katie tripped out into the barn, where
Bell stood in an anxious attitude over
a square box she had placed on 4
beam. ia 90 af- d. aNiaR sdi .rala
Bell, what are you doing r she cried
i am trying to keep this hen on be-
nest. said Miss Bell, turning . pertur
bed face toward her cousin. Min,
times she has TOWN cackling OF, ant
nine times have canght her and pu
her ON again. We've broken three 0
the eggs, but they are easily replaced