Mower County transcript., 1871-07-13
MISS kETUHAH'S YEARLlNG.

leaning Oh pair of bars that led into
Miss kcturahs pasture, doing just what
the good book command us not to do, viz
"Cov.ting his ncighbor's possessions"
II jocks" said he, with his gaze fixed
on pretty, frolicsome young animal
clean Of limb and straight of back, with
soft, bright eyes, like a girls. IL wish
| could contrive to get hold of that
Alderncy yearling; there amt another
like her in the county, and I'd be willing
to fork down almost anything Kctury
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
Il do believe Kctury 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 bet
ter believe"
Jabcz, the elder brother, moved out
from the shade Of the butternut tree
| where the two men halted to look ovcl
the rail fence. II must be getting
homc," said he, cor my old woman will
scold about my keeping the supper
stundin'." "You hain't got any wife
Usher, to fret if you don't come to time
| on meals.
Jabez, a sturdy, bronzed farmer, went
| trudging his way hOmcward, with his coat
on his arm, and his checked shirt sleeves
and the red flannel back to his vest show
ing. 'Lisha, however, fingered in the road
lie was Il different build from his brother
| nd Job I,,t <sl ,:%l,
cheeks followed in a little about the
mouth, bushy beard, and kind grey eyes.
| He fingered behind, halt musing on the
words Jabez had 70 carclcssly spoken. II
believe Ketury would as licves give you
herself" lie knew his brother meant
nothing, but the words were sweet to him
1t seemed as though he needed the assur.
ancc 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. 1t was a
homely place, and no effort had been made
to tx up; tut its air Of snugness suggested
good cheer. The sheds and out houses
struggled to the barn, or else the barn
struggled to the sheds. There was plenty
of shade from cherry and apple trees,
| where robins and thrushes ncstcu. The
| old ewes were swallow haunted, aud there
was q roomy, old-fashioned garden, aud a
patch Of green sward, sprinklcd with
white clover, where keturah stretched
her drying line, and let her clothes tlutte1
out Monday morning earlier than any OF
her ncighbors. 1t was Il tidy old place
and had come to her from her fathers
estate, with few out lying fields, we'll
fenced and titled; Il bit Of timber land, a
good spring Of water, and several other
blessings belonging to this sublunary
sphere.
kcturah knew how to prize her indie.
pcndence There were a few plain rules
she never transgrcssed; to deal fairly, to
always live within her means, and to make
the most of blessings seemed to be pretty
plain duties. She was not supposed to be
very friendly to matrimony, and she did
enjoy being her own mistress, for the un,
limited scope Of that which is known. in
New England US faculty.
Sne was Il woman Of middle height,
with frank, blue eyes, a face fresh yet, and
dark hair, combcd smooth behind her ears
and twisted III Il smallish knot at the back
| OF her head. None of those chin yarns,
as Miss Keturah said, for her. She was a
| world too sensible to wear false wad on
her cranium. 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 c}ucking hens. A little
invalid creature, II pretty ball Of down,
with spraincd ankle, she brought and put
in a warm basket on the mantel. There
was a shrewish wind blowing outside,
although it was May, with blossoms from
the apple trees whirling down to the grass
A small wood-tire snapped aud cracklcd on
Miss Kcturah's hearth, and the lilacs were
in bloom, and the door yard gay with jon
Quils and daily 1y.down-dillies The dog and
Cat, sleek and we'll fed, us dog and Cat need
be- were lying on the hearth in their own
appointed places, and there sat Miss Kctu-
rah, with little round stand beside her,
in the circle of light from the genial fire,
sewing away ON a pair Of unmentionablcs S
for little Blly Shaw Mrs Shaw, his
mother, was poor, always in hot water,
with dreadful want of calculation and
good judgement in her upper story. It
was either feast or famine in the Shaw
establishment all the while. The juvenile
Shaws had to go without their crusts but
tered six days in the week; but if on the
seventh their mother happened to earn a
dollar, just as likely as not it was all spent
in butter, and all eaten up in one meal.
kcturah dcspiscd such shiltlessnes, but her
hands never stopped doing for the Shaws
Now, as she sat there, in her cheerful
aud contcntcd loneliness, with the big
clock in the corner, there ca,ne a knock ut
the door
"Come in, Johnny Shaw" called out
Kcttrah, without turning round. "Ther's
he bag of potatoes I promised your
mother. You can help yourself l shall
churn Tomorrow, and your mother may
send over for a pail Of buttcrmilk."
"Aheln!"
Kcturah turned around suddenly, and
there stood 'Lisha Bates holding his hat,
and looking into it as if he expected to
discover the protoundest wisdom in its
depths;
"S;kes alive!' exclaimed Miss Keturah,
You gave INC such start. thought, to
be sure, it was johnny Shaw Take a
chair, Lishcr, and draw up to the fire.
Cold, amt it, for this time of the year"
"Good for blue noses," said fisher,
but he felt. as he expressed it afterwards,
"strcaked," much as a man feels when be
is about to break the ice, and plunge into
y cold bath However, he sat down on
the edge of Il chair, carefully deposited
his hat under it, took out his rcd silk
handkerchief and mopped his face all over.
There was 81 little preliminary clearing
of the throat, and then Usher said with
that circ'unlocuion Of speech hubitual to
the born Yankee:
Il don't s'posc, Kcturah, you've got any
grass seed you'd be willing to part with
Tor fair price?'
"Goiny to put down more Of your land
to grass?' inquired ketulah with slight
accent Of disapproval.
II was squirting that way" returned
fisher, hcsilatingly, almost wishing he
grass himself, but he gave i hitch |" his
chair that brought him IL little nearer Kc-
turah on the other side of the stand.
"lnslcatl of seeding down any more, il
I had your farm, should put a few bar
rcls of lime on the triangular lot, and SOW
in with clover"
"That's what mean to d"," responded
Usher, giving his chair another hitch,
utterly torgctiul of SL. Paul's command.
IL sullcr not Il woman to teach" "Iour
pasture looks uncommon we'll this spring."
he added
"Ycs, the feed IS good" said Keturah,
sewing away calmly in the candle light
The chair hitchcd little closer, "Ketu-
rah, that's mighty tiuc Aldcrney ycarling
Of yours The tone was soft, persuasive,
and melting.
Kcturah just raised her eyebrows
"Umph!' she knew what 'Lish was driv-
ing at now.
The clair pitched little nearer, the
tone grew more coaHing and oily. "ketu
rah, wouldn't you, cou]dn t you be per
suatled to sell me that crittcr?'
The small unmcntonables dropped from
Kcturah's hand; the audacity of the re-
quest filled her with amazcmcnt.