Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-01-18

| Ii Sec any vi DFdvIoiS 3 Aeus on tne
place; so, when l kethed this tall
strut at the cabbage8, just chucked
him stone, and he pltmped as dead
as a door nail"
" That was right, Jad; but, upon
my word, you have killEd the Shang-
hae rooster" ." And Rachl felt little
twinge Of remorSe, knowing the ex-
pense and rarity of the dad specimen
before her. However,I am not a
bit sorry" she said after a moments
reflection. Experience costs dear,
as the copy book says; md | guess,
in time, our neighbors will find out
that we are not to be imposed upon.
Take the rooster hone, Jack, and
throw it over the dor-yard fence.
1t will be a declaration Of war,"
" If father should find it out" said
Jack, refectively, "he might seold
like Sam Hill. Then-1 spose you
could bear the brunt, Rache, eh?"
" Did you ever know me to Shrink
responsibility ?" inquired Rache, lf-
tily. " Go along, Jack, and don't)e
a coward"
When Jack came in with the mn,
folks at dinner time, he looked suky
and out of sorts, and kept telegraph
ing in dumb show to Rache acOsS
the table; until, at last, when She
got up to cut the pie, he followedher
into the buttery, and slut the dor.
tell you what it is, Rache.a he
broke out, " that was :neaky piece
Of business; and | don't mean to do
any more such jobs. ! threw the
rooster into Brayton's yard and
then | got behind a tree and pretty
soon one Of the girls caue out and
found it, and began bodooing like
baby. As near as | Ould make
out, it was a present to hw, and she
had raised it in a basket; and | felt
just as if | had been stealing a
sheep"
Let them boohoo," rplied Ra-
chel with severe dignity " They
ought to think enough Of heir choice
fowls to keep them at home
After the dinner dishes were out
of the way, and the chores all done
up, Rachel repIenished her fire, and
put on an extra sized kettl, Of water
to heat. Then she went up stairs
and changed her dress; aid when
she came down again there vas a bit
of a lace collar with transferred
work, and a cherry bow at tie throat
of her delaine dress, over which She
wore a jaunty black silk apron With
braided pockets.
She seated herself with her work
basket at the sitting-room winbw,
almost as if looking for company,and
let her gaze wander down the visible
stretch of road, where golden rod
astorS bloOmed, and the sumach ush-
e8 beside the old Stone-walIs appar-
ed to drip with scarlet color, and
the pOke-berry was turning a vivid
purple. Presently her eye lit up
with a gleam of triumph. There
were the Brayton pigs nosig along
through the dust of the rod and,
fer once, she was glad to zee the
pests. They were long-snoutd. slab
sided animals, with plentiful marks
of the slough upon their ccat and
unappeasibIe appetites. Rachel 7atch-
ed with a grim species Of muse-
ment to see them turn in fromhabit
toward the Henderson side gate,
which was shaded by a huge black
cherry tree, and begin the process Of
roofing under. They dug viii the
nozzle, bent the forelcgs, incliIed the
dorsal column, and lifted powerfully,
until the gate was unlatched, aid the
whole bristly tribe poured ito the
yard with grunts of satisfaction.
Under one Of the kitchen windows
lay tempting pile Of potabe par
ings, previously prepared or bait
which a vicious old female, tn, mother
Of numerous disreputable children,
Immediately scented. They gathered
together, pushing and struggling for
the titbitS, when Slap-dash. down
came a pail of boiling water upon the
backs of the miscreants, and with
heart-rending squeaIs, they gallOped
in a body from the yard. It was eyi-
dent to Rachel's mind that the hair
and hide of her enemies had suffered
considerable damage; but still she
repIenished the fire and put on more
water, determined 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 Oed that
night flushed with a consciousness Of
victory.
The next morning, early, NJ. Hen
derson and his men went off to a dis
tant detached meadow, to do a job of
top-dressing. and took their dinner
with them. The partridges had been
heard whirling through the bright
woods for some days past, whhh
caused Jack to shy away with tie
long shooter from tie garret-an al
cient firearm, supposed to be worthy
of much reverence, because Of a ira
dition which connected it with the
war of II. 1t would kick beastly
as Jack expressed it; and by a deal
of coaxing, managed to 60 off one
time iu ten.
Rachel had enough on hand tc
keep her pleasantly occupied for two
or three hours. There was a tray O
solid, golden butter standing upor
the shelf. which must be worked over
and laid down for winter use, anC
the last scald was yet to be giver
to her sweet pickles. She opened
the window and let the warm air ii
laden with the mellow, ripened smell
of apples dropping from the trees
and crysanthemums and zeIias bloom
ing about the dooryard. Over th
prismatically tinted woods, softcnet
by a tender haze, crows were circling
and their loud caws alone broke tn
country stiffness, which always seem
deeper of dreamy autamn day.
Rachel was coDtented in the mids
of her busy loneliness. There wa
something about the mild glow Of tn
morning and the beauty Of the worl,