Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-07-27
Mrs. kctchum's Yearling.
HO,C it Brought Her a Husband

81 don't believe Ketury would sell
that critter for its weight in gold. -
It's cosset brought up on cream, |
tell her, and seeing she's no,ional
with r"ihing but hens and dlcks and
live stock 20 keep her company, it
aiH't wonder she sets such store by
what she's raised That's Just how
the case stands, Lisher!'
The man addressed as Lishcr'
was leaning on a pair of bars that
led to Miss Ke,urah's pasture, doing
just what the good book command.
us to do, viz " Coveting his neigh.
hurs possessions"
Is" jocks" said he, with his gaze
fixed on a pretty, frolicsome young
animal, clean of limb and straight of
back, with soft, bright eyes, like a
girls. ~ wish | could cun,rive To
get hold Of that Aldeny yearling
there amt another like her in the
country, and I'd be willing to fork
down almost anything Ketury might
ask"
You'd better not get your heart
set on it," said his brother Jabez. in
the tone of deliberate emphasis. com
mon to him, Il do believe ketnry
would almost as soon give you her.
self, as part with that yearling"
Jnst then the graceful creature in
the lot, with her white feet buried in
rich feed, and wiSp of grass dang
ling from her mouth, gave a little ea
per, and trisk If the tail a. much
as to say, "You better hpIiove."
Jabez, the elder broth r, moved out
from the shade of the burtornut tree,
wtere the two men halted to look
over the fence /" must be getting
home" lie said, or my old woman
will Scol abou' my Keeping the sap.
per staniin'. YoI hain't got any
wife, Usher, to fret if you don't
come To time on meals"
Jabez, q sturdy bronze1 farmer,
went trudeing his WAY b mcward
with his coat over his arm. and hr>
checked shirt sleeves, and the red
flannel back to his vest showing. -
l.isha, however, fingered in the road.
He was a different b0iId from his
brother, with cheeks Followed in a
little abont the mouth, bushy beard,
and kind gray ewes. He fingered be
hind, bali mnsin9 on the words Jabez
had so careIcssy spoken. g. b".
lirve ket,Fah would almost ~ lives
give YOU herself" He knew his
brother meant nothing, but the words
were sweet to him 1t seemed as
though he had needed the assurance
Of their truth tor a .long time.
There, down the road, which
wound little, and elapsed thicket
of trees in the crook oi' its arm was
the old red farm house where Ketu,
rah lived. 1t was homely place,
and no effort had been made to fix it
up but it's air OF. snuGness suggested
comfort and good cheer. The sheds
and out houses struggled to the barn,
ar else the barn struggled to the
sheds. There was plenty of shade
from cherry aud apple trees, where
robins and thrusher nested. The
caves were swallow haunted, aud
there was roomy, oId.tashioned
garden, and patch Of green sward,
spriukled with white clover, where
kcturah stretched her drying line,
and let her clothes flutter out Monday
morning earlier than any Of her
neighhors. II was tidy old place,
and bad come down to her from her
fathers estate, with a few outlying
fields, we'll fenced aad tilted a bit
OF timber land. good spring Of wa.
ter. and several other blessings be.
longing to this sublunary sphere.
ketnrah knew how to prize her in.
dependence. There were few
plain rules she never transgrrssed to
deal fairly, tnsalways live within her
mean~, and to make the most Of bless
iugs, seemed pretty plain Duties
She was not Supposed tn he very
friendly to matrimon", and she did
enjoy being her own mistress, with
an unlimited scope for the exerei.e Of
that which is known in New Eng.
land ~ faculty. She was woman Of
middle hi .ht, with bright, frank blue
eyes, a face fresh We: In color, and
dark hair, cp,nbed smooth behind her
ears, and twisted in . suailish knot