Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-03-10
The Leisure Hour.
THE BUSHRL OF COR.v'.


Farmer Gray had neighbor who was
not the best tempered man in the world,
though mainly kind and obliging. He
was a shoemaker. His name was Barton.
One day in harvest time when every hand
on the farm was as busy rs a bee, the man
came over to Farmer Gray and said in ra-
ther petulant tone of voice
"Mr. Gray, I wish you would send over
and drive your geese home."
"Why so, Mr.. Barton, what have my
geese been doing?" said the farmer in a
mild, quiet tone.
"They get into my garden, and / will
not have it,"
"I am very sorry for it, neighbor Bar
ton, but what can do?'
"Why yoke them, and keep them on
your own premises. 1t is no kind of a way
to let your geese run all over every farm
and garden in the neghborhood."
"But / cannot see to it now, it is harvest
time, friend Barton, and every man, wo-
man and child on the farm, has as much
as he can do. Try and bear it for week
or so, and then will see if 1 can possibly
remedy the evil"
"I can't bear it, and won't bear it any
longer rW the shoemaker said. $50 If you
do not tako care of them friend Gray,
shall have to take care of them for you"
"Well, neighbor Barton, you can do as
you please" farmer Gray replied, in his
usual quiet tone. 81 am sorry they troub-
lc you, but l cannot attend to them now."
"Tll attend to them for you, sec if
DON'T" the shoemaker said still more an
grily than when he first called on Farmer
Gray.
"What on earth can be the matter with
them gcose?" said Mrs Gray, about fifteen
minutes afterwards.
81 really cannot tell, unless neighbor
Barton is taking care of them. He threat
ened to, unless yoked them right off,"
"Taking care of them How taking care
of them2"
"As to that am quite in the dark. Kill
ing them perhaps. lie said that if l didn't
take care of them he would So I suppose
he is engaged in the neighborly business
| of taking care of our geese"
John! William! Run over and see
what Mr. Barton is doing with my geese"
Mrs. Gray said in a quick and anxious
tone to two little boys who were playing
| near.
The urchins scamperod off we'll pleased
to perform any errand.
"Oh, if he has dared to do anything to
my geese, will never forgive him." the
good wife said angrly.
"H-u-s-h, Sally! make no rash speech.
es. 1t is more than probable he has killed
two or three of them. But never mind il
he has, he will get over his pet and be sor-
ry for it,"
"Yes, but what good will his being sor-
ry do me2 VIII it bring my geese to life p
"Ah, well Sally, never mind. Let us
wait until we learn what all this disturb,
ancc is about"
In about ten minutes the child came
home bearing the bodies of three geese
each without head.
ooh, isn't that too much for human en-,
durance."
eve found them lying out in the road,
said the oldest of the two children. "AnG
when we picked them up, Mr.. Barton sale
tell your father that / have yoked hi
geese for him, TO save him trouble, as hi
hands are all too busy to do it,"
"rd sue him for it !" said Mrs. Gray il
an indignant tone.
"And what good would that dor"
"Why it would do a great deal of good
1t would teach him better manners. 1
would punish him."
"And punish us into the bargain. w
| hovo Loot tbrpn oaaca noNy lint Nva will ctu
have their good fat bodies to cat. A Law
suit would cost us n good many geese, an,
not leave us so much as the feathers, be
sides giving us a world of trouble and vex
alton. No, no, Sally, just let it rest, and h
will be sorry for it, 1 know"
"Sorry for it, indeed And what goo
will his being sorry for it do us, l shoul
like to know. Next, he will kill COW
and then we must be satisfied with his be
ing sorry for it? Now l can tell you tha
/ don't believe in that kind of doctrin,
Nor do believe anything about his bon
sorry, the grabbed, ill-natured wretch -
"Don't call hard names, Sally" farme
Gray said in mild soothing tone. "Noigl
Dor Barton was not himself when he kille
the geese Like every other angry perso
he was little insane, and did what b
would not have done had he been perfect
in his right mind. When you are excitet
you know, Sally, that even you do and sa
unreasonable things"
"Mo do and say unreasonable things
q exclaimed Mrs. Gray with look and tor
. of indignant astonishmont, "me do an
o say unreasonable things when / am angry
I don't understand you, Mr.. Gray"
"Maybe can holp you little. Don
you remember the churn2'