The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-21
Under one Of the kitchen windows i,

Under one of the kitchen windows hy |
attempting pile of potato parings, previous
" prepared for bait, which q viciol6 old |
fel.iale, the mother of numerous disSeput- |
able children, Immediately scented. They |
gathered together, pushing and struggling |
for the tit-bits, when slap dash, down came |
pail of boiling water upon the backs OF
the miscreants, and, with heart-rending |
screams. they galloped in q body from the
yard.
It was evident to Rachels mind that the
hair and hide of her enemies had suffered
considerable damage; but still she replenr
ished the fire and put on more water, de-
termined to be prepared for action should
the porkers return. However, during the
remainder of the afternoon there was
peace along the border and Rachel went
to bed that night flushed with conscious
ness of victory.
The next morning, early, Mr.. Hender-
son and his men went off to q distant de-
tached meadow, to do job Of top-dress-
ing, and took their dinner with them.
The cartridges had been heard whirring
through the bright woods for some days
past, which caused Jack to shy away with
the long-shooter from the garret-an an
Gent frearm, supposed to be worthy OF
much reverence, because of tradition
which connected it with the war of 1872
1t would kick beastly," as Jack expressed
it; and, by deal of coaxing, managed to
go off one time in ten.
Rachel had enough on hand to keep her
pleasantly occupied for two or three hours.
There was tray of solid. golden butter
standing upon the shelf, which must be
worked over and layed down for winter
use, and the last scald was yet to be given
to her sweet pickles.
She opened the window and let the
warm air in, laden with the mellow,
ripened smell of apples dropping from the
orchard trees, and the chrysanthemums
and zenias blooming about the yard door.
Over the prismatically tinted woods, soft
ened by tender haze, crows were circling,
and their loud caws alone broke the coun-
try stiffness, which always seems deeper
of q dreamy autumn day.
Rachel was contented in the midst of
her busy loneliness. There was some
thing about the mild glow of the morning,
and the beauty of the world, and the soft
wind coming through the south windows,
that filed her with rest She had almost
forgotten the annoyances of yesterday and
those provoking Brsytons, and was step
ping about at her work, singing Screen
ville," in q clear, sweet, but untutored
voice, when gawky lad, all of color
from his tow trousers, hitched high in
the back by improyised suspenders, to the
struggling locks that strayed from below
the rim Of torn straw hat-made his ap-
pearance at the door.
~ thought I'd stop and tell the folks"
said he, putting his head in, "that Bray
| ,<,,,-o In vo1r oorn nnohf fhoxy
have stuffed themselves till they're ready
to bust?' f4
Instantly the strain died on Rachel's
lips, the spirit of peace went out of her,
and she was prepared to act on the old
law of ian eye for an eye and tooth for
q tooth"
They shall 60 to pound" instantly she
from home but If you will help me, Tim,
1 will see you get paid for it."
"Pd do it to oblige you, Rachel, as quick
as wink; but you see, father sent me
The horses are up and ready to do job
of fall blowing, and, if I should stop by
the way, he might sobdle me-"
"Go along, then," said Rachel, proudly.
al will drive them to pound myself" and
at the moment she looked and felt equal
to anything. At starting, Rachel tied on
her sun bonnet and armed herself with a
long carriage-whip having particularly
indicative snapper.
The cornfeld, which was rustling with
ripened grain almost ready for the sickle,
Law on a cross-road, and it gave Rachel q
peculiar feeling of satisfaction to know
that she would be able to drive the cows
L NJ snd fhrro cf
another act of defiance in their teeth.
Secretly she hoped to find the whole Bray.
ton dairy of thirty cows browsing and
crushing the tall stalks; but instead Of
that, only two animals had broken bounds
and having eaten to the point of safety
they were now stupidity standing by the
gap in the rail-fence. gss.ee
Rachel drove them out into the road at 8
smart trot; but as she neared the Braytor
place she slackened her gait, and looked
up at the front windows. But none of the
, family were visible, and thus part of hel
triumph proved abortiye. .T
The pound was good long country mill
distant. Rachel was in hurry; for sht
, had left unfinished work at home. TIL,
, heat of the autumnal midday appeared t.
come straight down, with scarcely ,
breath of air stirring; and Rachel did no
spare the cows. When she arrived, no
and tired, at her destination, the pound
: master, who was jolly, fat man, cam,
, out to meet her.
, swell, now, Rachel" said he as he tool
in the situation, "you are a spunky
little girl; but 1 tell my wife wouldn'
give brass farding. for girl that hasn'
some snap to her"
: 1--WE couldn't stand it any longer" sai(
: Rachel defiantly. 1.-THE Brayton animal
were overrunning us, and it's my opinion
that there's point where patience cease
to be virtue"
"That's true as preachin', and all thu
better for nay trade" said the man, walk
, ing slowly round one of the cows which
! was shaking and quivering now as If in al
, ague fit, "but it strikes me you must have
druv pretty good jog" he added, with {
refreshing disregard Of grammar. "Thi'
one acts as if she was sich. She had eai
herself as full as tick; and it amt safi
, to:stir critters much in such case. They
sometimes die in less than twenty-foul
hours That would be bad piece o.
business You would not like to kill 9
neighbours cow, now, would your"
"Of course not" returned Rachel
J sharply, with dreadful sinking of the
heart. "You don't mean to tell me there
is any such dangerf"
I'm afraid So" he replied, cycling thu
COW professionally; it looks a little scaly
but you had better go and find Herman
Brayton, and tell him all about it; he il
better posted on cattle diseases than hal
the cow-doctors in the country and i
anybody can save the critters life he can.
Rachel turned back on the road, feeling
half dazed and wholly frightened. Hel
father was slow to anger but she die
not like to think what the consequence.
might be should he discover that his CIR
had been instrumental in killing neigh
boris COW. Her pugilistic spirit had oozed
out and left her in a bad scrape. How
could she face those Bnytons with hel
story; and how could she beg pardon and
assistance, as it were, of Herman Brayton
toward whom she had begun to feel set
tied dislike!
While she was hurrying along with
burning cheeks, turning over these
wretched thoughts in her mind, and feel
ing very humble, q young man sprang
over the low wall by the road side, and
politely raised his hat. He wore a farm.
1aborer's blouse and checked shirt; but
the lines of his form were graceful, and
his manner had charm quite foreign to
the homespun youths of the neighbor-
hood.
Excuse me, Miss Henderson" he said,
at once. 81 know you by sight, and, see
ing you go by, thought would take the