Litchfield enquirer., 1875-02-04
,uch the same purpose as the music"
 Next day ditto, and the next and tn

mucn the same purpose as the muS1c.
 Next day ditto, and the next and the next. -,
 "Fnerer' said the. little teamster, as she surveyed the boards scientifically scatter ed mp and down the lines of future fence. ; There. Dolly. We have saved twenty dol lars with which becomingfy to aecept the inevitable-a woman cGnlot dig post holes and set posts!'
 The post setting accomplished, we bought our fence nails, and with our ham, mers and saws went out to build fence. We built 1t, too, notwithstanding mascu- line wisdom assured us we could not We lifted the boards by uniting strength, I held them against the post close to Louis accurate red chalk marks,-it is Lou who has the correct eye,-and she drove the nails. During which we found that the fifteen dollars saved was the margin for straight edges, uniform width, freedom from bark, immunity from knot-holes and the general superiority of art over nature, town over country.
 We also took dowi and relaid the entire roadside fence, not accomplishing all this, ofcourse, without countless resting spells; the fibre that endures, the power of giving blow and bearing strain, is of painful ly slow growth.
 The fence mending done, we attempted another bit of thrift. We harnessed Pampas to the little wagon, for which we ourselves had constructed light extra box to place atop the other, and then we drove up and down our estate,-Lou practicing in the art of standing to drive, the while,-through the woods and through the grubby residue which John couldn't blow, cutting our wagon-roads as We went, often both jumping out to roll aside a log, rolling and blocking, rolling and blocking, until we had conquered, and thoroughly picked up" the place, bringing back to the door load after load of sticks and limbs and chips for summer wood.
 There were three acres of this unayail- able residue. While we were loading, we often paused to contemplate it. It was old stumps and knotty logs had been rolled down upon it, and it had been made dumping groung for stones and clesrings.
 ''Here, Dolly dear, is our knitting work!" Lou said one day.
 Just that it was for two years. When no other work pressed, ,we' logged. 'That IS, we cut down grubs-trlmming up the tallest to mend fence with-and piled the brush, old and new, around the logs, dragging the stumps into piles of two or three, many a summer night have we tended our big bonfres over there; twice have we had the whole place on fire and the neighborhood out to save the fences and put out the flames. In fact, our daily life those first years was SO truly primitive, and seemed such a bit of de- ightful outlawery from the conventional housewife of our sex, that Louise often said, ''We might as we'll be gypsies, Dolly, and live in the hedge!'
 Meantime other things were happening We had tried bit of the newspaper gar dening: Louise and I had agreed we would try almost everything. Underneath a coverlet of straw,. and the shelter of some.loose cornstalks, down the sunny south side of the selected garden site, we had lettuces and peas and onions growing graAnly. right in tho midst of snow-storns. It was very pretty sight, after a light April snow, to take peep Tn and see them smiling up at us with suCi1 a l:~a- cheery, undaunted look, as if to say, ''We are pery comfortable, thank you, and as as busy as We can be!'' It made us cheery We were like two children. We hovered every day about this first gardening, th1s premature bit of summer which we had evoked as from fairyland. It was such 8 wonderful thing to us,as wonderful as the telegraph, to ask question ofNature, "a question wrapped up in tiny brown seed, or brown bulb, or little wrinkled bean, and be answered thus.
 Another development in our affairs was not so encouraging. Pampas, upon acquaintance, was proving to be an ex- treme conservative, who liked things to run on in the old ruts. He had been born in the purple; and so soon as he learned that he had probably become in volved for life in the problem of woman's independence, his d1scontent threatened us serious trouble. Having been accus- toned to town carriagehouse he did not take kindly to our rustic accommodations, although his good breeding while he sup posed himself merely on visit led him to accept them courteouslY; but of late we had been wakened, and lain trembling to hear him paving and knocking his stable in the dead of night--oa0' horse-what were aOe to do with him?
 ''I will whip him for that, Louise said at last.
 He had never drawn anything save a light phaeton, or worn any but the dainti- est trappings, and he hated our harness and would never accept the bits without a protest; and of late he had shown his contempt for our pretty wagon by series 0f chort 1t1nc hooL on1 fortb bo was put in the thills; and now he was re- sorting to sudden jumps, and to standing straight upon his hind feet in his desper- ate struggles to free himself.
 ''And will whip him for that!' finally said Louise one day, after dismounting for the seventh time from the load of wood which he had vainly tried by rearing and plunging to overturn. I looked at his ugly mouth champing the bits so res- lively, and at his unloving eye, and i fan cied little short Louise whipping him! l should have laughed had I not been so anxious.
 One day when he wouldn't ''back," she kept her word.
 She led him out into an open space, told me to come along, and throwing of her sun-bonnet, took the whip. "Now back, Pampas! back!'
 Not step. Nothing but that fierce champing.
 '.Back, say! back" She tries to force him back with all her strength-and her white, firm arm and shoulder have strength. But Pampas chafnps and plants his feet, and then tries to make a little run at her, and cry out. She crushes him back, the veins standing out on the little brown fist like cords.
 She is white enough now: "Get into the wagon, Dolly, and pull on the linesr'
 l chamber in, and, while she tries again, I pull, and cry ''Back! back!'' with all my weak voice. It is an excited feminine shriek, and it sounds as if I were afraid and were about to break down and cry, when in reality I am as brave and angry as Louise.
 She tells him. once more. Then she force the bits back, and she raises my whip, and she brings 1t down upon his breast fercely and fast, and cries, ''Back, Pampas!'' Pampas rears; that taint of mustang blood shows itself now; he raises her clear from the ground, but he can neither knock her down nor shake her off.
 The wbip comes swift and fierce 'sRackl