The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-07-04
Miss Keturah's Yearling, and How
it Brought Her q Husband.
.sT DON'T believe Ketury would

tell ner, and seeing shes notlOnal 10
keep her company, it amt wonder she
sets such store by what she's raised.
That's just how the case stands, Lish-
err %
The man addressed as Usher" was
leaning on pair of bars that led into
Miss Keturah's pasture, doing just what
the good book commands us not to do,
viz Coveting his neighbor's posses
sions."
81 jocks" said he, with his gaze fixed
on pretty, frolicsome young animal,
clean of limb and straight of back, with
soft, bright eyes, like girls, wish l
could contrive to get hold of that Alder
ney yearling; there amt another like
her in the county, and I'd be willing to
fork down anything Ketury might ask"
You'd better not get your heart set
on it," said his brother Jabez, in the
tone of deliberate emphasis, common to
him, 1 do believe Ketury would almost
as soon give you herself, as part with that
yearling."
Just then the graceful creature in the
lot, with her white feet buried in rich
feed and wisp of grass dangling from
her mouth, gave little caper, and a
frisk of the tail, as much as to say,
You'd better believe"
Jabez, the elder brother, moved out
from the shade of the butternut tree,
where the two men halt ed to look over
the rail fence. i must be getting home"
said he, "or my old woman will scold
about my keeping the supper standin.
You hain't got any wife, Usher, to fret
if you don't come to time on meals"
Jabez, sturdy, bronzed farmer, went
trudging his way homeward with his coat
over his arm, and his checked shirt
sleeves, and the red flannel back to his
vest showing. Lisha, however, fingered
in the road. He was a different build
from his brother, not so square and thick
set, but taller, with cheeks following in
little about the mouth, bushy beard,
and, kind grey eyes. He fingered be-
hind, half musing on the words Jabez had
so carelessly spoken. 81 believe Ketury
would almost as 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 as
surance of their truth for long time.
There, down the road, which wound
a little, and clasped a thicket of trees in
the crook Of its arm, was the old red
farm house where Keturah lived. II
was a homely place, and no effort had
been made to fix it up; but its air of
snugness suggested comfort and good
cheer. The sheds and out houses strag
gled to the barn, or else the barn strag
gled to the sheds. There was plenty oI
shade from cherry and apple trees, where
robbins and thrushes nested. The old
caves were swallow haunted, and there
was a roomy, old-fashioned garden, and
a patch of green sward, sprinkled with
white clover, where Keturah stretched
her drying-line, and let her clothes huttel
out Monday morning earlier than any O
her neighbors.
1t was tidy old place, and had CONF
down to her from her fathers estate
with few outlying fields, well fence(
and titled; bit of timber land, good
spring of water, and several other bless
ings belonging to this sublunary sphere.
Keturah knew how to prize her indie
pendence There were few plain rule
she never transgressed to deal fairly t.
always live within her means, and t.
make the most of blessings, seemed prett,
plain duties. She was not supposed t.
be very friendly to matrimony, and sh
did enjoy being her own mistress, will
an unlimited scope for the exercise o
that which is known in New England a
faculty
She was woman of middle height
with bright, frank, blue eyes, face fresl
yet in color, and dark hair, combet
smooth behind her ears, and twisted in
smallish knot at the back Of her head
None of those Ohin-yarns, as Miss KetuI
ah said, for her. She was world to
sensible to wear false wad on her Gran
ium. She had been out just at nightfall
to attend her chickens, and to see tina
they were all in the coops, under tn
feathers of the clucking hens, A littl
, invalid creature, pretty ball Of down
with sprained ankle, she brought ant
put in warm basket on the mante
2 There was shrewdish wind blowin
outside, although it was May, with bios
SONS from the apple-trees whirling dow
to the grass. A small wood-fre snappe
and cracked on Miss Keturah's hearth
and the lilacs were in bloom, and tn
door-yard gay with jonquils and dafy
down lilies. The dog and cat, sleek an
well fed, as dog and cat need be, wer