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

CLOVER.
Bessie Moore was ont in her fathers
pasture. hack Of the harm, picking black
berries. when she was StartleSl~hy the
blast of a horn. A look Of aaxAety came
over her sweet face rs she ran quickly
AMI climbed the fence 70 see II Mr.. Thy
son, the meat-man, who blew his
horn twice a week % announce his CON-
ing. was 10 stop. She watched the
horses climbing the hill; and when she
saw her mother come 20 the back door
and swing towel she throw herself on
the ground and sobbed as though her
heart would break. She knew full well
that ii was not 10 buy meat that her
neither had signaled for Mr.. Thyson 10
stop, for, although she was but ten
wears old, she WAS aware Of the fact that
there was no money with which 10 buy
IL Oh, no She realized that the event
she had been dreading 50 long vas 10
happen now-thAt her pet calf, Clover,
her only playmate, 50 white and 80 fond
of her. was 10 be sold. Week after week
she had heard her parents discuss the
subject of selling Clover, but week after
week they had heard the butchers horn
blow and had let the wagon so by. But
affairs had been coming 10 a crisis lately.
Her father. who had been sick all sum-
mer. was still too feeble 10 work, and the
small stock Of money he had saved was
rapidly going. She knew that he could
not afford 10 feed the calf through the
winter, and she knew that Mr.. Thyson
wanted her and had offered large price
for her. Mr.. Thyson was a man who
wanted 20 possess all the rarest speci-
mems Of cattle, and he had been very
anxious 70 buy this calf, which was said
10 be the handsOmest creature IN color
and shape, ever seen in Loudoun county.
He was selfish man, withal, and was
very ready 10 take advantage OF Mr..
Moore's misfortunes 70 get her. He was
known throughout the county as a man
who always got the best of bargain,
who thought more Of making money
than OF anything else, and who never
worried himself about his neighbors'
troubles or felt il his duty TO share or
relieve them. He had one child, boy
about fourteen years old, named Tom,
and he was determined IL possible, 10
teach him to be as shrewd in business
matters as himself; but so far Tom had
not shown much progress in that direc-
ton. he often went with his father as
he rode through the country with his
meat, and was advised by him 10 watch
sharp, for he would soon be old enough
10 take the business himself. And Tom
did watch sharp, and his large brown
ewes grew moist with tears 10 see his
father take Bessie's calf away, for he
knew how Bessie loved Clover, and that
it was only necessity that made Mr..
Moore sell her. Meantime Bessie had
climbed the pasture fence and crept
quietly behind the barn, where, through
a big crack, she saw and heard all that
passed. Then, rs the wagon turned 10
90 out OF the yard, she went back, and,
running aaross the pasture with all her
might, climbed the fence on the other
side. rEn along the road 10 the corner
which she knew the wagon must pass,
and waited for it. As she saw II coming
she waved her hand for il to stop, and
In trembling voice cried:
"Oh, please stop q minute. want
to ask you something"
Mr.. Thyson drew up mis- horses,
wondering what child il was in such
apparent distress, for he didn' I recognize
Bessie at first, as, in her haste to reach
the turn in the road before the wagon
came along, she had fallen down in the
dust, and then, wiping her tears with
her stained hands, had smeared her face
30 as to De hardly recognizable. Her
long, faxen hair was blowing in every
direction, and her hat was lying on the
other side Of tile pasture fence, where it
had fallen when she climbed over.
"Oh, please, please, Mr.. Thyson,"
she screamed, "you won't kill my calf,
will you ?"
Father" said Tom, that's Bessie
Moore. Why, Bessie, what's the mat
ter?"
"Oh, am so afraid your father will
kill my Clover. You don't know how l
love her, and I can't help crying" and
here the poor child broke down, and
sobbed bitterly. Then, as she saw Mr..
Thyson draw up the reins 10 start, she
continued
perhaps if papa gets we'll he can buy
her back, you knos. So you won't klll
her, will you?"
"No, no, child: l won't XII her.
She's too pretty TO kill. Iwill taSe good
care Of her, and you can come and see
her whenever you want to.
Then / guess can stand it better.
I came ont here so that papa could not
see me cry, for that would make him
worse. knew / should cry when / said
'good-by TO Glover" Aud sure enough,
when the horses started her tears started
again too, and there she stood in the
dusty road, weeping and watching the
wagon until it disappeared behind the
next hill.
"Oueer," said Mr.. Thyson, as they
drove along, "that she should feel so.
Well, can't help it. II l hadn't bought
her somebody else would. Well, it's
the way of the world. It don't do to
give way to your feelings for little things
Ike this, you know, Tom. If you do
you will never get ahead. They couldn't
afford to keep her and had to sell her,
and that's all there is about it.
But if it was all there was about it u
it made him very uncomfortable. In
spite of all his reasoning he couldn't
help thinking how easily he could spare
feed enough from the loads of hay and
stacks of grain with which his barns
would soon be overfowing to keep the
calf for time. How happy that would
make Bessie, and how it would Tighten
her parents hearts He couldn't get
the sick countenance of Mr.. Moore out
of his mind, or the tired, worn face of
his wife, or, more than all, little Bessie
standing alone in the dusty turnpike,
watching him as he took away the only
pet and playmate she had.
1t annoyed him, and it was something
new for him to be annoyed in this way.
He was glad when he found himself ap.
preaching another farmhouse, and Il
he blew louder blast than usual on
his horn, nobody but himself knew that
it was to give vent, if possible, to emo
tions that were getting too strong fol
him to manage.
Tom was very quiet all the way home.
He seemed TO be thinking very deeply
about something, but when, occasional
", he did speak, it was sure to be some