The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-07-31
Going After the Cows.

Esther were playing "bear" down by
the spring-house, when called.
They liked to play there, for q brook
ran along under the trees, aud right
through the pring-house-iust a tiny
brook-and sometimes they would
throw stones into it, and sometimes
put bits of bark and chips on the
water, and call them their boats. And
once papa made them a funny little
wheel out of wood, and fixed 1t in the
brook SO it would urn round and round
when the water ran over it.
Then, too, they liked to go into the
spring-house and see skim the
cream off the milk that stood in the
jars, and make the balls of butter that
looked almost as yellow as gold. They
lived in a little house made of logs, and
there were bears and wolves in the
woods, and sometimes they could hear
them bowling in the night.
One day, after papa had been out in
the woods cutting down the trees, he
told them he had heard something that
sounded like a child crying. What do
you suppose it was? A panther. When
he said that, Polly and Esther opened
their eyes very wide and wanted to sit
on his lap, both at once!
Guessed they weren't afraid any,"
they said; but I think they felt safest
pretty near papa, don't you?
Then papa told them God took care
of good children, and they knew if
papa said so it must be true.
There was a lot just a little way from
the house that they called the "past-
>ure," because that was where they kept
the cows. 1t was a nice, large lot, with
a pretty round hill on one side, and the
woods came close up to the fence.
Polly and Esther liked to go and bring
the cows for mamma to milk, and when
she called "Polly! Polly!" they ran
to the house as fast as they could, for
they knew that was what mamma
wanted. So she tied on their pink SUM-
oonnets, and gave them each a kiss,
and away they ran, never thinking of
being afraid, for they were really two
brave little girls.
They let down the bars, so the COWS
could come through, and then went up
the hill. They found some pretty
flowers growing right among the stones,
and Esther said they "looked lonesome
there all Alone" 80 she picked them to
carry home to m Polly saw a
grey squirrel sitting on the fence, hold
ing a walnut in his paws, and nibbling
it with his cunning little teeth, but when
she cried out, go, Esther, do look |"
he ran off into the woods so fast they
couldn't see which way he went. They
looked through the fence, though, and
saw a tree with a big hollow place, and
they said "they shouldn't wonder if
that we're 'Chippy's' home"
Then they heard a bell tinkling and
they new old "White-face' was some
where pretty near. That was n of
the cows that had q white spot on-her
face and papa had fastened a little bell
around her neck, SO if she got lost
they could find her when they heard the
bell.
Then Esther and Polly both called {:
"Come. Bossy! Come, Bossy !" and all
the COWS, White-face and Molly, and
Bess, came over the hill toward them,
just as if they knew what the girls said.
Don't you believe they did Just then,
something that looked like a big, black
dog, came. out Of the woods and put its
fore-paws upon the fence as if it were
going to jump over. "Why, Polly do
you see that dog ?" Esther said for she
saw it first. Isn't he a nice old fellow ?
Come. doggiel Come doggiep But
when Esther ran towards him he ran
back into the woods.
So the little girls drove the COWS
down the hill and through the bars, and
mamma cam down with her pals.
Then as they both stood watching her,
while the milk foamed up white and
frothy in.the bright tin-pails, they told