The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-09-16


enty whatever an octave may be !"
for Mr.. Wheating and his wife had
acquired an education by proxy, and
they believed in it thoroughly.
And so Amanda went to work
with will; she was diligent at the
weekly churning. Nell always sent
butter to the county fair, and had
taken premium only last year. If
she could only eclipse Nell! And
there was Tom Briefly too. How
proud he would be to take her into
the county dinner--the best butter
maker in Briefly Centre--for Tom
appreciated those things, and she had
heard him declare that be would be
proud of domestic wife who could
turn her hand to anything, like Mrs.
Kitchen; and the reason why she
had never striven forthat pinnacle
was because she fancied that
he would be proud of her on
any terms. Beaux came by nature,
but piano was a different affair.
Still she had no faith in her own
handicraft, and every time she sent
her butter to market she expected it
to return unsold. The iair was to be
held at Briefly Centre that year, and
the time drew nigh, and Amanda got
SO nervous over the prospect that she
dreamed she was pound of butter
left to melt in the sun; and her favor
ite nightmare was that the premium
was Tom, and Nell's butter took it.
She found out the days on which
Nell churned, and always took care
to drop in and taste the butter, in
order to compare it with her own,
which did not in the least conduee TO
her comfort, but left the bitter flavor
of envy on her palate.
"What are you going to stamp
your butter with, Nell ?n she asked
one day, while Nell was braiding a
rag mat, and Tom Briefly offered
suggestions about harmony in the
color Of the rags.
"Oh, / always use that old stamp
of grandma's the sheaf Of wheat" re-
plied.Nell. "There, will this piece Of
of scarlet flannel be out OF
taste beside the stripes of my old
blue delain, think ?"
"Who ever heard Of taste in o rag
mat ?n laughed Amanda, peevishly.
"Do let's talk about the fair. I've
got butter on the BRAIN"
"a fatty degenercy Of the brain
eh ?p insinuated TEN.
"Now don't laugh; if you bad g
premium to take you wouldn't fell SO
easy"
"Wouldn't l, though ?n
"Do you send your butter to the
town hall, Nell, in your butter box
as if it was going to market?"
Exactly" said Nell, sorting heI
rags-"this bit of orange wouldn' &c
in badly there yes with my name
on card in the box.n
would you'd mind lending me
your stamp-the sheaf of wheat
after you have done using itW
"Not the least in the world"
al broke mine last churning"
"IIl send it over" And that wa:
how it happened that Nell stamped
her own butter with strawberry in
stead of sheaf of wheat.
So far Amanda had been as honest
as the sun. Mother hadn't so muct
as touched she churn-dasher, and i
was not until the evening before fair
day, that the father oflies, or origina
sin made suggestion to her natur'
ally not in accordance with "honol
bright"
The butter, cheese, vegetable, irui
and fancy work were all displayed il
the town hall, ready 70 the morrow
Judgment, Nell's and Amanda
among the rest and it had unfortun
ately fallen to Mr.. Wheatings part
he being one of the judges on fruit
and vegetables, and the neares
neighbor-to lock up the hall ant
take the key home, in order to max
sure that the products of the countr.
were not molested. Amanda saw
him come. in and hang the key behin'
the keeping-room door.
Whats that, father?" she asked
otis the key to the town hall
that's all"
And then her evil genius "said hi
say,n and she wrestled with him til
all the house was asleep, and wa
worsted. She threw a shal over he
shoulders just as the clock struc
eleven, ahG took down the ke.
stealthily, looking over her sboulde
the while. / must have the piano, q
all Odds" her thoughts ran, "and a
for the premium, I'll make it up t
Nell some day." The moonlight wa
so bright she had no need of
lantern. She hurled across the field
into the highway, brushing the de-
as she went straight to the town ba
and let herself in. The moon, PLAY
ing fantastic pranks among thes.rang
assemblage there, startled her at frs
A mammoth cabbage seemed to b
shaking its head at her; the eyes
the potatoes winked at her knowing
ly; the air was rank with the ode
of fruit, She knew exactly wher
the butter box had been placed, an
| Nell's too i; she remembered that th
boxes were counterparts of eac
other, both small and unpainted. A
she did in the world was to place he
own box in the place Of Nell's, an
exchange cards with her. Then sh
slipped out again, and the great doe
groaned ON its hinges, and the groa
echoed throughout the silent hall
and before she was fairly out Of Il
shadows, somebody pass by on ii
other side, whistling. ''Tbe Ros
that All are Praising.n She DIRE
the shawl over her head, for it ws
Tom Briefly, who paused and locke
after her retreating figure. Whel
J, had Tom been at this hourI A
Nell's perhaps, looking at the plan
She had seen it arrive hat nigl
}, with her own eyes, and had NJ
plucked up heart enough to go in an
praise it It oseemed to bad th'
!, Nell should have the piano and ii
premium both for the foolish 81
i hadn't doubt but Nell's butter wou
be the best; it had taken the prem