The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-15
MISS KETURAH's YEARLING.

that critter for its weight in gold. Its
q cosset brought up on cream, tell her,
and seeing she's notional with nothing
but hens and ducks and live stock to
keep her company, it amt wonder she
sets such store by what she's raised
That's Just how the case stands, LII
sherp
The man addressed as fisher was
leaning on a pair of bars that led into
Miss Keturah's pasture, doing just what
the good book commands us not to do,
viz: "Coveting his neighbours posses
sions."
al locks" said he, with his gaze fixed
on a pretty, frolicsome young animal,
clean of limb and straight of back, with
soft, bright eyes, like girls, :" wish
could contrive to get hold OF that Al
derney yearling; there amt another
like her in the county, and I'd be will
ing to fork down almost anything Ketu-
ry 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,
"I 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 a 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 halted 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, Lii
sher, 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 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 gray eyes. He fingered be-
hind, half musing on the words Jabez
had so carelessly spoken. al believe
Ketury would almost as lieves give you
herself" He knew his brother meant
nothing, but the words were sweet to
him. 1t seemed as though he had need
ed the assurance of their truth for long
time.
There, down the road, which wound a
little, and clasped u thicket OF trees in
the crook of its arm, was the old red
farmhouse where Keturah lived. 1t
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 of
shade from cherry and apple-trees, where
robins and tbrushes nested. The old
caves were swallow. haunted, and there
was roomy, old-fashioned garden, and
patch of green sward, sprinkled with
white clover, where Keturah stretched
her drying-line, and let her clothes fut-
ter out Monday morning earlier than
any of her neighbors. 1t was tidy old
place, and had come down to her from
her fathers estate, with few outlying
fields, we'll fenced and titled; bit OF
timber land, a good spring Of water, and
several other blessings belonging to this
sublunary sphere.
Keturah knew how to prize her inde-
pendence. There were few plain rules
she never transgressed; to deal fairly
to always live within her means, and to
make the most of blessings, seemed pref
ty plain duties. She was not supposed
to be very friendly to matrimony, and
she did enjoy being her own mistress
with an unlimited scope for the exercise
of that which is known in New England
as faculty.
She was woman of middle height
with bright, frank, blue eyes, a face
fresh yet in color, and dark hair, combed
smooth behind her ears, and twisted in
a smallish knot at the back of her head
None of those chin-yarns, as Miss Ketu-
rah said, for her. She was world toe
sensible to wear false wad on her cra-
mum. She had been out just at night
fall to attend to her chickens, and to see
that they were all in the coops, under
the feathers of the clucking hens. A lit
tie invalid creature, pretty ball Of
down, with sprained ankle, she brought
and put in a warm basket on the man.
tel. There was shrewish wind blow.
ing outside, although it was May, with
blossoms from the apple-trees whirling
down to the grass. A small wood-frt
snapped and cracked on Miss Keturah's
hearth, and the lilacs were in bloom
and the door-yard gay with jonquils an6
daffy-down-dillies. The dog and cat
sleek and well fed, as dog and cat need
be, were lying on the hearth in theil
own appointed places, and there sal
Miss Keturah, with little round stant
beside her, in the circle of light from the
genial fire, sewing away on a pair of un
mentionables for little Billy Shaw. Mrs
Shaw, his mother, was poor, always il
hot water, with dreadful want of cal
culation and good judgment in her up
per story. 1t was either feast or {
famine in the Shaw establishment al
the while. The juvenile Shaws had tt
go without their crust buttered six day
in the week but if on the seventh thei
mother happened to earn dollar, jus
as likely as not it was all spent in but
ter, and eaten up at one meal. Kctural
despised such shiftlessness, but her hand
never stopped doing for the Shaws.
Now, as she sat there, in her Cheerful
and contented loneliness; with the bi!
clock ticking in the corner, there came
knock at the door.
"Come in, Johnny Shaw" called on
Keturah, without turning round
"There's the bag of potatoes 1 promise,
your mother in the cellar-way. Yol
can help yourself. / shall churn to
morrow, and your mother may send owe
for pail of buttermilk."
"Ahem !"
Kafurah 4,,rpnI orOnnI ~,