Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-23
HOLMES COUNTY, o. THURSDAY July 49, 1874

the days on which Nell churned, ant
she always took care to drop in and tast
the butter, in order to compare it will
her own, which did not in the least con
duce to her comfort, but left the bite
flavor of envy upon her palate.
'What are you going to stamp you
butter with, Nell?" she asked one day
while Nell was braiding rag mat, ant
Tom Briefly offered suggestions abou
harmony in the color of the mat.
"Oh, i always use that old stamp o
grandma's, the sheaf of wheat" re
piled Nell. .'There, will this piece o
scarlet flannel be out of taste here be
side the strips of an old blue delaine
think?"
"Who ever heard. of taste in a rag
mat?" laughed Amanda, peevishly
''Do let's talk about the fair. Eve gol
butter ON the BRAIN"
"A fatty degeneracy of the brain,
eh ?" insinuated Tom.
"Now don't laugh; if yon had a pre-
MUM to take, you wouldn't feel SO
easy"
"Wouldn't l though? ?"
"Do you send your butter to the town
hall, Nell, in your butter box, just as
if it was going to market?"
EXACTLY" said Nell, sorting her rags
-''thIs bit of orange would go in badly
there Yes, with my name on card
in the box"
"Would you mind lending me your
stamp-the sheaf of wheat-after you've
done using it?'
"Not the least in the world"
81 broke mine last churning."
"I'll send it over" And that was
how it happened that Nell stamped her
own butter with strawberry instead
of sheaf of wheat.
So far Amanda had been as honest as
the sun. "Mother" hadn't SO much as
touched the churn-dasher, and it was
not till the evening before fair-day that
the father of lies, or original sin, made
a suggestion to her naturally not in ac-
cordance with "honor bright"
The butter, cheese, vegetables, fruit,
and fancy-wOrk were all displayed in
the town hall, ready for the morrow's
judgment, Nell's and Amanda's among
the rest; and it had unfortunately fall
en- to Mr.. Wheating's part-he being
one of the judges on fruit and vege-
tables, and fhe nearest neighbor-to
lock up the hall and take the key home,
in order to make sure that the products
of the country were not molested.
Amanda saw him come in and hang
the key behind the keeping-room door.
"What's that, father ?" she asked.
"It's the key to the town hall, that's
ALL"
And then her evil genius "said his
way" and she wrestled with him till
all the house was asleep, and was worst
ed. She threw shawl over her shoul-
ders just as the clockstruck eleven, and
took down the key stealthily, looking
over her shoulder the while. 81 must
have the plane at all odds" her thoughts
ran, sand as for the premium. I'll make
it up to Nell some day." The moon
light was so bright she had no need of
a lantern. She hurried across the fields
into the highway, brushing the dew as
she went straight to the town hall and
let herself in. The moon, playing fan
tastic pranks among the strange as
there, startled her at first. A
cabbage seemed to be sha-
king its head at her; the eyes in the
potatoes winked at her knowingly, the
air was rank with the odor of fruit.
She knew exactly where her butter box
had been placed, and Nell's too; she
that the boxes were coun-
terparts of each other, both small and
All she did in the world
was to put her own box in the place OF
Nell's, and exchange cards with her.
Then she slipped out again, and the
great door groaned on its hinges, and
the groan echoed through the silent
hall; and before she was fairly out of
its shadow, somebody passed by ON the
other side, whistling, "The rose that all
are praising." She drew the shawl over
her head; for it was Tom Briefly who
paused and looked after her retreating
figure. Where had Tom been at this
hour? At Nell's, perhaps, looking at
he piano. She had seen it arrive that
night with her own eyes, and had not
plucked up heart enough to go in and
praise it. 1t seemed too bad that Nell
should have the piano and premium
both; for the foolish girl hadn't q doubt
but Nell's butter would be the best; it
had taken the premium once, and peo.
Pile weren't apt to retrograde in the
matter of making butter. But then, if
Tom should find her out, how he would
lespise her, and at that thought, though
'he was hurrying away from her mis-
Iced, she would gladly have returned
md made it all honor bright again, but
'or fear of meeting Tom and being de-
.ected.
The next day the roads were gay, land
llive with folks flocking in from the
towns, dressed in their
Sunday best. There was a plowing
match worth seeing, at which Tom
Briefly himself took a prize; and, TO
crown all, there was a grand dinner
n the big tent, to which everybody
walked by twos to the music of the fife
md drum from West Briefly, and all
he nobodies stood aside and stared, and
themselves with sarcastic re-
marks on the toilettes in the procession,
md then went and peeped through the
thinks of the tent till their mouths
Tom Briefly came in a little late to
he dinner, flushed and handsome from
he plowing, and Amanda's heart gave
, great thump when he dropped into
1acant seat beside Nell, while she sat
opposite with nobody but Deacon Small
% do the gallantries.
81 hope Pm not putting myself into
else's place." said Tom.
81 guess it's all right" answered DR..
"There's many who'd
ike to put themselves into your shoes,