Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-05

ton. Experience costs dear, az the copy
book says; and | guess in time, our neigh.
oors will liud out that we are not to be i'm.
posed upon. Take the rooster home, Jack
and throw it over the door-yard fence 1t
will be declaration Of war"
8" If father should find it out" said Jack,
roaectively "ho might scod like Sam Hill.
Then spose you cond bear the bruni Ra.
che, ch }''
Did you ever know hue to shrink rcspon.
sibility2' inquired Rachc, loftily. Go
along, Jack and don't be a coward"
When Jack came in with the menlolks at
dinner time, he looked sulky aud out Of sorts,
and kept tolcgraphing in dumb show to Raoho
across the table until, at last, when She got
up TO cut the pie, he followed her into The
buttery, and shut the door.
tell you what it is, Bache he broke
out, that was sncaky piece of business ;
and don't mean to do any more such Jobs.
! threw the rooster into Braylons yard. and
then | got behind tree and pretty soon one
Of the girls came out and found it, and began
boohooing like baby. As near as | could
make out, it was a present TO her, and she
had raised it 10 basket and | felt lust as
D 90 hhN N''n HAfhlAllE "a nNhtNs
Let them boohoo," replied Rachel with
severe dignity They ought to think enough
Of their choice fowls 10 keep them at home. "
After the dinner dishes were out of the
way, and the chores all done up, Rachel re.
plenishcd her fire, and put on an extra sized
kettle Of water to heat Then She went up
stairs and changed her dress aud when she
came down again there was bit Of lace
collar with transferred work, and a cherry
bow at the throat Of her delaine dress. over
which she wore a jaunty black silk apron
with braided pockets.
She seated herself with her work-bnskct at
the sttiug-room window, almost as if looking
| for company, and Dot her gaze wander down
the visible stretch Of road where golden rod
astors bloomed, and the sumach bushes be.
side the old stone-walls appeared to drip with
scarlet color, and the poke-berry was turning
a vivid purple Presently her eye lit up with
a CLEAN Of triumph There were the Bray
ton pigs nosing along through the dust Of
the road and, for once, she was glad to see
the pests. They were long-snouted, slab
sided animals with plentiful marks Of the
slough upon their coats and unappeasibie ap.
pettes. Rachel watched with grim species
Of amusement to see them turn in from habit
toward the Henderson side gate, which was
shaded by hugo black cherry tree, and be-
| gin the process Of roofing under They dug
with the nozzle, bent the forclcgs inclined
the dorsal column, aud lifted powerfully, un-
Ill the gate was unlatched, and the whole
bristly tribe poured into the yard with grunts
Of satisfaction.
Under one Of the kitchen windows lay a
tempting pile Of potato parings, previously
| prepared for bait, which a vicious old female,
the mother of numerous disreputabe chill.
dren Immediately scented They gathered
together, pushing and struggling for the tit
bits, when slap-dash down came pail Of
boiling water upon he backs of the miscre-
ants, and with hcart-rending squeals they gall
loped in body from the yard Ii was evil
dent TO Rachei's mind that the hair and hide
Of her enemies had suffered considerable dam
age but still She replenished the fire and
put on more water, determined TO be prepar-
ed for action should the porkcrs return.
However, during the remainder Of the after
noon there was peace along the border; and
Rachel went to bed that night flushed with
consciousness Of victory.
The next morning early, Mr. Henderson
and his men went off to distant detached
meadow, to do a job Of top-dressing, and took
their dinner with them. The partridgos had
been heard whirling through the bright
woods for some days past, which caused Jack
to shy away with the long shooter from the
garret--an ancient irearm, supposed to be
worthy of much reverence. because of a ira
dition which connected it with the war of II.
1t would kick bcastly, as Jack expressed it
and by deal Of coaxing, managed to 90 of
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 laid 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, ripencd
smell of apples dropping from the orchard
trees, and crysanthemums and zenias bloom.
ing about the dooryard. Over the prismati-
cally tinted woods, softencd by tender haze.
crows were circling, aud their loud caws alone
broke the country stiffness, which always
seems deeper of q dreamy autumn day.
Rachel was contcutei in the midst Of her
busy loneliness. There was something about
the mild glow Of the morning and the beau
ty OF the world and the soft wind coming la
through the south windows that filed her
with rest. She had almost forgotten the an
noyances Of yesterday and those provoking
Braytons, aud was stepping about her work,
singing Greenyile," in a clear, sweet. but
uniutored voice, when a gawky lad, all of "a
aolnr From, lii =
the back by improyised suspenders, to the
struggling locks that strayed from below the
rim of torn straw hat, made his appearance
at the door,
thought I'd stop and tell the folks,
said he putting his head in, that Brayton's
cows are in your corn. Gosh they've stuffed
themselves till they're ready to bust"
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 " an
eye for an eye aud tooth for a tooth"
"Ihcy shall 90 to pound instantly" sac
exclaimed. "The men folks are away from
home but, if you will help me, rim, will
see that you get paid for it,
I'D do it to obligc you, Rachel, as quick
as wink but, you see, father sent me down
~ wv HiNNhohiAth hAANi ~ NNlAtis ms HNI=
ses are uP ready to do job of fall plowing
and If should stop by the way, he might
whale me-
60 along then" said Rachel, proudly, |
g will drive them to pound myself" and at
the moment she looked and felt equal to any
thing. At starting Rachel tied on her sun
bonnet and armed herself with long cur
riage-whip, having particularly yindietive
snapper
The corufe1, which was rusling with ri. |
pened grain almost ready for the sickle, lay
on cross road, aud it gave Rachel apcculiar
feeling Of satisfaction to know that she would |
be able to drive the COWS past her enemys |
very door, and thus cast another act of def |
ance in their teeth. Secretly she hoped to
find the whole Breyton dairy of thirty cows
browsing and crushing the tall stalks but