Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-02-05
From Our Young Folks fol Februry.
piosaua Guinea Pigs and What They
Paid For
MRS. 8. B. c. sAMUELs.

MRS. 6. 3. c.. SAMU ELS.
The snrino was uncommOnly warm,
and there seemed more to be done upon
the farm than ever was known before.
How hard the boys all worked-even
little Fred doing his share-in the fields
and garden, -ploughing, planting, ana
pruning, getting ready for summer!
In the twilight all met upon the pleas
ant piazza to report progress, and lay
plans for the morrow.
"Pios are out !" screamed Bridget,
az they were assembled one evening.
They well knew the meaning of her
cry that. tired and warm as they were,
ali hands must turn out and chase the
pigs-an experience equally trying to
the nerves and temper; for in the arts
of determined running, heading the
wrong way, doubling, and eluding ones
grasp, pigs excel all other animals.
Run, boystn said Mr.. Cunning
ham run, or they'll be in the gar
den. How did they get out, [ wonder
I thought that wall was strong and
high enough to confne an OK
Of went the five boys; the rest OF
the family standing guard over the
newly planted garden and fover-beds.
What chase that was! The pigs, re-
Yelling in their freedom, ran this way
and that, determined only upon one
point-not to approach their pen. In
and out, doubling, twisting, slipping
away just as one thought he had them,
and giving more than one fall and a
bump-it was full half an hour before
the exhausted boys succeeded in driv-
ing in and barring the pen.
g don't see why you keep pigs at
all, papa, said Lille, tanning herself
with her hat, for she too had joined in
the pursuit, and was flushed and tired /;
g they ere such stupid, uninteresting
creatures "
eyes, that's sol" exclaimed Ned.
finging himself down on the boards
And all the others, heated and cross,
expressed emphatic assent.
g That they are aggravatIng, I'll adj
nit, said Mr.. Cunningham, in reply /;
and if a careless boy leaves the bars
down, they are quick to seize the OPP
portunity of escape. But they are
very profitable, and almost indispensa-
BILE on a place like this. Now I'll tell
you, boys, what [ viii do. I'll give
you the pigs over entirely to you You
may feed them and take all the care OF
them-treat them well, understand
and, when they are killed in the fall,
the money that they will bring shall be
divided equal among you.
s.And me " said Lille.
Wei, yes, replied her father, Elf
you do your share
After that it was astonishing what
interest md importance those pigs as
sumed in the eyes of the children
Where's the milk for the pigs .
was the constant cry, as three times
daily, pail In hand, some one Of the
five boys appeared in the kitchen.
Sure, an the farther was the wise
man y was Bridget's frequent com
ment
One morning Charlie eame in with
news, There are thirteen little pigs
III the pen Out. rushed the children.
Sure enough, there they were, squeal
ing already and trying to grunt, al
though their eyes were not yet open.
They were all
Fat and pink like human babps
Most promising young swine,'
and the children admired them Excess
sively.
But the SOW, unnatural mother that
she was. took a strange dislike to two
of her babies, and would not feed
them; and, as the children had no
idea Of losing two pigs for her whim,
Charlie took them into the house, where
they were euddled IN a warm basket.
and ted with a silver spoon.
Under this treatment they tbrived
splendldIy, grew faster than the pigs
IN the barn yard, twisted their curly
tails into tighter knot, twinkled their
little black eyes more intelligibly, and
were always-or so the children fancied
the whitest and most aristocratic-
looking pigs of the lot. But. what
with the meal and the milk. and the
buttermilkfrom mothers churn, they all
grew surprisingly, and by and by it
was nolsed abroad that the Cunning
mans had some very fue pigs for sale.
Dew tell !! " said one old farmer
after another; ''what nice pigs them
ar! Chester Whites, air thew? Well.
now, what'll yer take for d couple 2"
=" twenty dollars! 0, now, that's
too much isn't it? But they air nice
pigs, no mistake. Guess I'll take two
on 'em.'
In less than week from the time
they were offered for sale all were gone.
and soon the old ones were CONSIGNED
TO the pork barrel and with the mo-
ney they brought Mr.. Cunningham he
Dought for each of the bows and for
Lille a nlce watch and chain. The
boys all thought that they mad made an
excellent bargain; but Lille and Fred
the youngest and wisest of them all
We're not content to rest here.
= Ii we take all the care of tho
Guinea pigs, papa, may we have the
money they bring Ia 2" they asked
yes, " said Mr.. Cunningham, {" INIT
m afraid it won't amount to much. )"
Little did he know of the foresight
of those two
The Guinea pigs lived upon the barn
floor, and though the great doors stood
usually open, the little creatures never
ran out.
Even If you took them in your hands
and, carrying them out, placed them
gently upon the grass, back they would
seamper as fast as their httieicgs could
go, and gaining the sheltering fold of
the great barn, would turn and look at
YOU, crying Qu-week qu-week! We
know best -
They were little trouble and no ex-
pense, for, with plenty of fresh grass
an! clover, they almost picked up their
hVlng off the barn floor; and in the
winter, when grass and clover were not
procurable, they ate bread and milk,
grams and vegetables.
they had warm nests in snug little
houses, all along one side of the barn,
and q nd IN every house, now and then,
Line l. Iit and Fred would fnd:a nest full
OF little ones. Before long there were
twenty pairs for sale,
. larry larry went vent to town, and, hunting up
:; a naturallst,s store, asked what the /
6 =, would allow for the little nets
oeYety-hye cents pair, he said. if tbev
would sell only to him. So the NEXT
gay harry took the little pigs to town
n Il "a basket, and brought home fifteen
dollars to the children. D''seo