River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-02-07
From Our Young Folks foi Februry.
Pigs and Guinea Pigs and What They
Paid For.

PIGS ana Guinea FIGS ana w nat Thcy
Paid For.
MRS. s. B. C. sAMUELs
The spring 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, and
pruning, getting ready for summer!
In the twilight all met upon the pleas
ant piazza to report progress, and lay
plans for the morrow.
pigs are out! screamed Bridget.
as they were assembled one evening.
They well knew the meaning of her
cry that, tired and warm as they were,
all 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, boys!" said Mr.. Cunning
bam-'..run or they'll be in the gar
den. How did they get out, wonder I?
1 thought that wall was strong and
high enough to confine an OK
OFF went the five boys; the rest of
the family standing guard over the
newly planted garden and fower-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.
81 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 !;
"they arc such stupid, undressing
creatures
Eyes, that's sol" exclaimed Ned,
flinging himself down on the boards.
And all the others, heated and cross,
expressed emphatic assent.
"That they are aggravating, I'll adj
NIT, " said Mr.. Cunningham, in reply !;
land if a careless boy leaves the bars
down, they are quick to seize the OPP
portunity of escape. But they are
NOlJ pIOhtdblCs anu diLuOsl luulSpehStt-
bic on place like this. Now I'll tell
you, boys, what L Will 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"
''And me 2" said Lille.
"Well, yes, replied her father, "if
you do your share"
After that it was astonishing what
interest and 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 was Bridget's frequent COM
ment
One morning Charlie came in with
news, "There are thirteen little pigs
in the penn 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 babes,
Most promising young swine,"
and the children admired them excess
sively.
But the SOW, unnatural mother that
she was, took 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 within,
Charlie took them into the house, where
they were cuddled in Il warm basket.
and ted with a silver spoon.
Under this treatment they thrived
splendidly, 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
buttermilk from mothers churn, they all
grew surprisingly, and by and by it
was noised abroad that the Cunning.
hams had some very fine pigs for sale
Dew tell said one old farmer
after another; "what nice pigs them
air. Chester Whites, air thew Well
now, whatil yer take for a couple
Twenty dollars O, now, that's
too much isn't iti But they air nice
pigs, no mistake. Guess I'll take two
on EN-
In less than week frotns the time
they were offered for sale all were gone,
and soon the old ones were consigned