Litchfield enquirer., 1875-08-19
WHOLE NO. 2567.

her mothers letter had come, on his next journey, for the answer he had offered to carry, Dely's letter was written, sealed, and put on the shelf, and she was busy contriving and piecing out warm hood and cloak for baby to ride Tn.
 But every time she went to the barn to milk Biddy or feed her, the tears spranS | to her eyes, and her mind misgaye her. Never before had the dainty bits of food been so plentiful for her pet. or her neck so tenderly stroked. Dely had written to her mother that she would come to her as soon as her affairs were settled. and she had spoken to Orrin Nye, who brought the letter, to find purchaser for her COW. Grandfather Hollis, who bought Blddy, and in whose farm-yard I made her &C., quaintance, gave me thc droyer's account of the matter, which will be better III his
 words than mine. It seems he brought quite herd of milch COWS down to Avon dale, which is twenty miles from Haner- ford, and hearing that Grandfather want ed couple of COWS, he came to ''trade with him." as he expressed it. He had two beautiful Ayrshires in the Ot,-clean heads, shining skins, and good milkers,- that nightly pleased the old gentleman's fancy for he had long broOded over his fayorite scheme of pure-bloOded herd, | showed beautifully on his green hillside pastures, and were good stock besides. But Aaron Stow insisted so pertinaciously that he should buy this red COW, that the Squire showed his hat back and put both his hands in his pockets, a symptom of | determination with him, and began to | question him. They fenced awhile, in true yankee fashion, till at last Grandfath- CT became exasperated.
 Look here, Aaron Stow I' said he "what in thunder do you poster me so about that COW for? She's good enough beast, I see, for a native but those Ayrshires are better COWS and better blood, and yOu know it. What are you navigating round me for, so glib?"
 "Well, now, Squire" returned Aaron, whittling at the gate with sudden yehe mence, 'fact IS, I've set my mind on your
 buying that critter, an you jes' set down on that 'ere milkin' stool an I'll tell ye the rights ont, though I feel kinder meechin' myself, to be 30 soft about it as Ibe."
 | Leave of shaving my new gate, then, and don't think I'm going to trust a hun dred and eighty five solid flesh to three legged stool. I'm too old f0E that. I'll sit on step here. Now, go ahead, man." | So Grandfather sat down on tho step, and Aaron turned his back against the gate and kicked one boot on the other. He was not used to narration.
 "Well, you know we had a dreadful l spell O weather a month ago, Squire. . There ha'n't never been such a March in my day as this last; an twas worse up our way an twas here, an down to Hart land Holler was the beat of all. Why, | it showed an it blowed an it friZ till all Natur' couldn't stan 1t no morel We'll, about them days was down to Hartland Centre a-buyin' some fat cattle for Han- erford market, an met OTriR Nye drivin' his team pretty spry, for he saw it was comin' on to snow; but when he catched
 sight O me, he stopped the horses an
 hollered out to me, so stepped along an | he said there was woman down to the HoIler that had COW to sell, ,an' he know ed was apt to buy COW critters along in the spring, so he'd spoke about it, for she was kinder in hurry to sell, foT she was goin' to move. So said I'd see to t, an he driv along. I thought likely I should git it cheap, eff she was in hurry to sell. an I concluded I'd go along next day; t wa mt more n seven mile from the Cen | Ire, down by a piece O piny woods, an the woman was Miss Adams. 1 used ter know George Adams quite a spell ago, an he was likely feller. Well, 1t come on to snow jest as fine an dry as sand, an the wind blew like needles, an, come next day, when started to foot it down there, didn't feel as though could ha' gone, | eff hadn't been sure of 8 good bargain; the snow hadn't driy much, but the wealth CT had settled down ssdreadfuI cold; twas dead still. an the air sorter cut ye to
 breathe it; but I'm naturally hardy, an I kep' along till got there. didn't feel so all-fred cold as hev sometimes, but when ! stepped in to the door, am she asked mo to hey a cheer by the fire, fust knew I IdId not know nothin'; come to the floor like felled OK. expect must ha' been nigh on to dead with clear cold, for she was the best part O ten minutes bringin' on me to. She rubbed my hands an face with campfire an gin me some hot tea; she hadn't got no sperits in the house. but she did everything little woman cOuld | do, an was warmed through am through afore lang, an we stepped out into the shed to look at the COW.
 We'll, Squire. ha'n't got much natur' into me noway, an it's well ba'n't; but that COW beat all, I declare for 'ti She put her head round the minute Miss Adams come in; an if ever you see dumb beast pleased, that 'ere COW was tickled to pieces. She put her nose down to the | N, l an she moved up agin' her an rubbed her ear on her,-she all but talked; an when I looked round an see them black eyes O Miss Adams's with wet in 'em, 1 most | wished had a pocket handkerchief my self.
 l You won't sell her to hard master, will you? says she. I want her to go where she'll be we'll cared for, an I shall | know where she Is; for if ever things come right agin, I want to hev her back She's been half my livin' am all my company for quite a spell, ar' I shall miss her dreadfully.'
 "'Weli,' says I, I'll take her down to Squire HOllis's in AvOndale; he's got a cow-barn good enough for Representa- tive to sit in, an clean water, an chains to halter 'em upwith, an dry yard where the water all dreens of as slick as can be, an there ant such piece O land nowhere round for root-crops; an the Squire he sets such store by his COWS an things, I've heerd tell he turned of two Irishmen for abusin' on 'em; an they has their bags washed an their tails cOmbed every day l in the year,-an' don't know but what they ties 'em up with blew ribbin.'T ''Get outr growled Grandfather Cant jest yet, Squire, not t'1 I've done. Anyway, l fingered it of to her.. an she was kinder consOled mp to think ont; for told her I thought likely you'd buy her COW. an when we come to do the tradin' part, why, cOn-found itI she want no more it to buy an sell a critter than my three-year old Hepsy. I said a piece back ha'n't got much nutur', an a man that trades dumb beasts the biggest part O the time hedn't oughter hev; but I swan to man! natuF' was too much for me this time; couldn't no more ha' bought that COW cheap than I could ha' sold my old gran ther to a tin-peddler. Somehow, she
 was so innocent, an she felt so to part with the critter, an then she let me knOw's George was in the army; an thinks I, guess I'll help the Gown along some; can't fight cause I'm subject to rheuma- tiz in my back, but I can look out for