Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-06-03
MISS KETURAH'S YEARLING.
How ft brought Her q Husband.

Il
on ca cam, tell her, and seeing she's notional
with nothing but hens and ducks and live stock
to keep her company, 1t amt q wonder she sets
such store by what she's raised. That's lust
how the case stands, LishervD
The man addressed as Usher" was leaning
on a pair of bars that led into Miss Keturah's
pasture, doing just what the good book COM
mands us not to do, viz: "Coveting his neigh
boris possessions"
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, 81 wish could contrive to get hold
OF that AlderDey yeariing; there amt another
like her in the county, and I'd be willing, to
fork down almost any thing KetuTy 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." do believe Ketury
with that yearling."
just then the graceful creature In the lot,
with her white feet hurled in rich feed, and Q
wisp of grass dangling from her mouth, gave
little caper and frisk of the tail, as much as
to say, You better believe"
Jabez, the elder brother, moved out from the
shade of the butterDut tree, where the two men
halted to look over the rail fence. al must be
getting home, }" said he, "or my old woman will
scOld about my keeping the supper standing.
You hain't got any wife, Usher, to fret IL you
don't come to time on meals"
Jabez, sturdy, bronZed farmer, went trudg-
ing his way homeward with his coat over his
arm, and HIS checked shirt-slesves, and the red
flannel back to his vest showing Lisha, how
ever, fingered In the road. He was q 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 behind, half musing on the
words ,labeZ had so carelessly spoken. |" be.
leve ketury would almost as lives give you her.
self" He knew bis brother meant nothing, but
the words were sweet to him. 1t seemed as
though he had needed the assurance Of their
truth for a long time.
There, down the road, which wound q little,
and clasped thicket of trees in the crook of its
arm, as the old red farm house where keturah
lived. 1t WIS a bomely place, and no effort had
and Sood cheer OF the
and out houses struggled to the barn, or else the
barn struggled to the sheds. There was plenty
robins and thrushes nestled. The old caves we're
swallow haunted, and there WAS roomy, old
fashioned garden, and patch OF green sward,
spTinkled with white clover. where Keturah
stretche her dTyiDg-line, and let her clothes
futter out Monday morning earlier than any of
her Deighbors. 1t was q tidy old place, and had
come down TO her from her fathers estate, with
few outlying nelds, wei fenced and titled; a
bit of timber land, good spring of water, and
several other blessings belonging to this sub
lBnary sphere.
Keturah knew how to prize her Independence.
There were a few plain rules she never trans
gressed; to deal fairly, to always live within her
means, and to make the most of blessings,
seemed pretty plain duties She was not sup
posed to be very friendly to matrimony, and she
old enjoy being her own mistress, with an un-
limited scope for the exercise of that which is
KNOWN IN new EnEl6DQ as faculty.
She was a 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
u her head. None Of those chin-yarns, as Miss
keturah said, for her. She was a world too
sensible TO wear q false wad on her Uranium.
She had been out just at nightfall to attend to
her chickens, and to see that they were all in
the coeps, under the feathers of the checking
hens. A little invalid creature, pretty ball
OF down, with sprained ankle, she brought
rs,1 No -. Laol 81
There was q shrewish wind blowing outside,
although IL was May with blossoms from
tie apple trees whirling down 10 the grass.
A snail wood-tre snapped and cracked on
Miss KetuTah's hearth, and the lilacs were in
bloom, and the door yard gay with jonQuils and
oafiy- dovn-dilles, The dog and cat, sleek and
well fed, as dog and cat need be, were lying On
the hearth in tDeir own appointed places, and
there sat Mss Keturah, with little round
stand beside her, in the circle Of light from the
genial Ire, sewing away on pair of unmen-
tionables for little Billy Shaw. Mrs. Shaw, his
mother, was poor, always in hot water, with q
dreadful want Of calculation and good judg-
ment in her upper story. Ii was either a feast
or a famine In the Shaw establishment all the
time. The juvenile Shaws had to go without
their crust buttered six days In the week; but
If on the seventh their mother happened to earn
dollar, lnst as likely as not 1t was all spent in
butter, and eaten up at one meal. Keturah
despised such shiftlessness, but her hands never
stopped doing for the Shaws.
Now, AZ she sat there, in her cheerful and
conteDted loneliness, with the big clock ticking
In the corner, there came q knock at the door.
g Come in, Johnny shaw" called out Ke-
turah, without turning around. There's the
bag OF potatoes promised your mother in the
cellarway. You can help yourself. 1 shall
churn to morrow, and your mother may send
over for baii Of butternilk."
Keturah turned around suddenly, and there
stood Lisha Bates holding his hat and looking
INTO as II he expected to discover the profound
"Sakes aliyeiu exclaimed Miss X eturab. ovon
gave me such q start i thought tn be sure, IL
was johnny Shaw. Take a chair, Usher, and
draw up to the tire. Cold, amt 1t, for this time
"Go0d for blue noses, - said Usher, but he
felt, as he expressed IL after ward, "streaked,"
much as a man feels when he Is about TO break
the ice, and plunge into cold bath. However,
be Fat down on the edge OF q chair, carefully
deposited bishat under 1t, took out his red silk
haDdk erchief and mopped his face all over.
There was q little preliminary clearing Of the
throat, and then Usher said, with that circum-
locution Of speech habitua to the born Yam
kee:
al don't s'pose, Keturah, you've got any
grass seed you'd be willing to part with for a
"Goins to put down more Of your land to
gass?" inquired Keturah, with slight accent
al was squirting that way" returned Usher
hesitatingly, almost wishing he could back ont
gave hitch to his chair that brought him q
little nearer Keturah, on the other side or the
stand.
Instead Of seeding down any more, IL had
your farm, should put few barrels Of lime on
the triangle lot, and COW In with clover"
"That's what mean to do" responded LII
eher, giving his chair another hitch, UTTERLY
fergetful Of st. Paurs command, I" suffer not
o woman 10 teach."c " Your pasture looks un-
common well this spring." he added.
eyes, the feed In good, 1" said Keturah, sewing
away calmly In the candle light.
The chair hitched little nearer. "Keturah,
that's q mighty fine Attorney yearling of
yours" The tone was soft, persuasive, and
melting.
Keturah Just raised her eyebrows. "Umph!u
she knew what 'Lish was driving 1T now.
Tho chair htched q little nearer, the tone
grew more coaxiDgly and oily. "Keturah,
wouldn't you. conldn't you, DO persuaded to sell
The email unmeptionables dropped from
Keturah's hand; the audscity of the request
filled her with amazement.
Chow can You ask such q question, "Lisher
Bate? You know / wouldn't part with that
heifer for any money"
''Lisher had heard that "where there's q win
there's . way" and another wise saw: "faint
heart never won fair lady" He determined
upon . strike. "Then, ketursh," said he,
suddenly, "you must marry me, for Pm deter
mined to get lien on that there critter, some
II Iisher's unheard OF temerity had stopped
here, Keturah would probably have thrown the