The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-09
VOLUME XT.

| lEtit@tAN AAlh rNAtA lhtiVs ~ " Wv AlAAN
they got home he WAS, as his wife said,
q" dreadful grouty,
As they were sitting at supper that
evening. Tom burst ont suddenly;
! Father, would ynu sell that calf p
Yes, and be glad to get rid Of her.
il | can get my price"
"Well, Ia like 20 buy her il I've got
money enough in my bank.
You What 10 you want Of her2''
"Oh something. WIN you sell her
a. meg"
Yes. suppose So. Yes, You may
/ have her for ten dollars, Just what |
paid.
And do exactly as l please with her,
father ?"
HIS father hesitated. He suspected
what Tom was going 20 do, and he saw
a difficulty in il for him. However, he
replied, at last:
Yes. Tom, You may buy her and do
/ exactly as You please with her, upon
/ one condition; and that Is, If by buying
her YOU get yourself into hard scrape
you will work yourself ont Of IT without
help"
MIR. Thyson thought, by binding Tom
| 10 that promise that he should have a
good chance % teach him valuable
I lesson in shrewdness and foresight about
making bargain.
Tom readily promised, for he couldn't
! imagine what scrape he could possibly
get into by buying Clover. So the bar
gain was soon concluded and the money
paid.
Meantime, Bessie had iri.sa her tears
and gone home, trying very hard 10 be
cheerful: but as soon rs she had eaten
her supper she crept mp 10 her little
bed and sobbsd herself 70 sleep. The
next morning she felt braver, and
thought she would try very hard TO for
get Clover. Her father usually lay on
a lounge by the sitting g-roOm window
through the day, and for several morn
ings Clover had been in the habit OF
coming there and putting her head in
70 be caressed. So Bessie made point
OF getting basket Of fresh clover bios
SONS, with which her father would feed
the calf while Bessie and her mother
were at breakfast. But the morning
after Glover left Bessie sat down 10 the
table with a heavy heart, for she missed
Clover then more than ever. She had
hardly taken a mouthful, though, before
her father called out
- Bessie, Just bring me a basket OF
clovers, won't You? Glover wants her
breakfast
Bessie sprang from her chair with "A
bound, exclaiming, Why, papa, you've
forgotten Cloyer's gone
But no i there was her sweet, white
face peering IN at the window, and
there holding her by a cord stood rom
Thyson, his face covered with smiles.
Why, Tom :" screamed Bessie did
she run away?'
"No. bought her OF father, and
now I'm going TO give her back TO you.
She's yours again, now. Good-by
and before Bessie could express her
thanks Tom was gone.
Now. although the return Of the calf
brought great JOY 10 Bessie, II brought
equal concern 10 her parents, for the
question arose how Clover could be fed.
Mr. Thvson had foreseen that difficulty
from the first, but Tom, IL his eager
ness to get the calf back to Bessie. had
not thought OF it. Mr.. Thyson said
nothing, though. he thought he would
see how Tom would manage.
Toward night Bessies father called
her 10 him and told her that although
Tom was very kind and thoughtful 70
bring Clover back, she couldn't stay,
for be hal not feed enough to keep her
through the winter, and no money to
buy any. So the next morning Bessie
started TO carry her back 10 Tom II
was two miles away, but il was lovely
morning, and Bessie enjoyed the walk
very much. Tom saw her before she
reached the house aud ran 10 meet her.
"I know you've brought her back,
said he, laughing heartily, because
you haven't any feed for her. | forgot
she would have 10 eat, but don't you
worry, Bess. You shall have this calf
for yours, If you have 10 wait TIL she Is
a COW, and then they both laughed TO
think she wouldn't be much OF a calf by
tha. time. but, you see, he added,
I'm in scrape, whether l give her 20
Won or keep her myself, for haven't
any feed for her either, and II never will
do 10 ask father for any. But I'll man
age il somehow before tomorrow. III
60 TO bed soon after supper and think II
out" So Bessie left the calf, and Tom
took part of what money he had and
went 10 his father to buy some feed for
her. He was determined not 20 ask him
10 give him any, and his father was
pleased to see that Tom was sticking TO
his promise not 10 ask his help.
The next morning he said 10 his
father:
Father, have You anything you could
hire me 10 do this winter? am going
TO carry the calf back again this morn
ing. I am not going TO give this job up,
now that I've started. So am going 10
earn money enough 10 feed her this win
ter myself"
( "Ah So you are going 10 work the
calfs board, are you? Well, If you
want 10 take Jim's place here you can
earn her board and something beside.
You could do his work before aud after
school If you we're smart and got up
early"
"Well, I'll take il and try. I'd like
to buy feed enough now to keep her this
week, and after this I can earn it and
carry il over"
His father smiled at Toms business
I like way, and thought TO himself, Well,
/ am teaching Tom a good lesson, that's
a fact. He'll get sick enough Of his bar
/ gain before spring, but il will do him
good"
Tom filled his hand-cart with the feed,
and tying the rope around Clover's neck.
started again TO carry her back. don't
know what the people along the road
thought to see the calf going back and
forth so often. But Tom didn't care.
He kept straight on and carried the cali
to Bessie's door.
." Here she If, Bess, and here's enough
to feed her one week, anyway, and III
see that she has enough all winter, un.
less 1 get sick, and don't feel very sick
now. Don't catch me backing ont oi
this scrape. No, stree !"
ALI winter, Tom was up betimes in the
morning, fed and watered the cattle,
groomed the horses, and did whatever
was required. He carried Clover's feed
over every week or two, and never once
complained. His father watched him
curiou3ly, and every week congratulated
himself on the good lesson he was teach
ing him.
At last spring came The tender
grass began to sprout, and Clover could
keep herself, from the pastures and
meadows. The farmers were all plow.
ing and narrowing, and getting the
ground ready for planting. Everybody
was busy, and in a hurry, as usual. Mr.
Moore was improving, but was still
very weak. His affairs looked very
discouraging to him, and his depressed