Sharp County record., 1878-04-19

cows from pasture III 4I4z-L-' 80
off early to-day, that they might be oacA
nv sunset. and his chores all done when
Mira returned, intending TO ask her LOT
q walk after supper, and put MS -aIe u
the touch. as well rs bring sam TO con-
fusion. But he reckOned without ms
host. Sam took q shortcut across the
hill. drove the only AlderneT he!Ier, the
nrfde and delight Of Mrs. CaIkln' S neart,
ont OF the pasture into 4 moving -OI
where an old barn stood, and smut Aer
I'D. 5etaking himself to q cLump OF nem
locks which overlooked the ROAD .lL
Henry came sauntering along, anu -eI-
-jug down the bars, began TO call the
creatures out Of the lot. They came On
after the fashion Of cows, as II time was
no matter and speed unknown or I'M
possible; and perhaps Henry |ouIu
have driven them home without missing
the Aldernev, had not Sam, who was
something OF 4 ventriLoquist, thrown MS
voice across TO the further hillside, ana
uttered o faint "Mo0-oO.' -
Henry started, looked toward the
sound. then back to the cows, and after
rubbinc his ewes and counting over the
slow procession filing past him, seemed
TO become aware that Miss Betty was
not among them. Another distant low
convinced him.
." Darn it ali!n Sam could hear him
murrer: ..that ALFRED critters ben an
straved agin. Well, they'll 60 hum dy-
rec. I guess. 1 must hunt her. W
And hunt her he did, first uphill and
then into the deep woods, Sam stalking
him all the time like q dger-hunter, and
P Henry disturbing the fragrant stiffness
of nature with vario~s eXpletiTes OF
both wrath and disgust, but not daring
to 90 home without the cow, which was
MiTy's special pet. After various trio-
uIarons Sam landed his luckiess rival
on the edge of q great swamp, from
whose tangled thickets the distressed
. utterance OF Miss Betty issued more
than once before Henry dared attempt
the boggy surface and darkIing growth;
at last. however, he plunged boldly in,
and Sans device having taken effect,
he himself. familiar rs q squirrel With
allrhe wood WAYS, FASTENED back 30 the
pasture, and released Miss BETTY, who
had been kept quiet with a bunch OF
. iuicv carrots, and. turning her into the
road where the rest had gone, took the
shortcut homeward, and would have
arrived there in time to be seated on the
doors step TO receive Almira but 1or an
unforeseen occurrence. And vet fate had
no spite against sam; it was the old
story of evil that is only hidden good,
though its eemed unmiXed evil to nm
that in jumping over the ive-rail fence
into the high-road only few rods from
home he should light on a rolling stone
that slipped under his foot and 8enthim
too rolling into the gutter, with broken
leg. Now Sam had been properly
brought up by q strict New England
mother, who believed in judgment;
6d on every sltfAt sri 81 "a, Gsh the the hand g
were capricious visitants, to be feared
rather than welcomed, and accepted on
the platform Of the old hymn:
W q 5IOulO oNSDttJ some Idu2tL Al5U
When we possess delight.
Poor woman. her horizon was so strait
and her heart so cramped that she
could not believe in God Of love, and
even stinted her affection for her own
children lest it become idolatry. There
fore it was not strange that Sam consid-
cred it a direct punishment for his
tricks upon Henry when he found his
leg was helpless, and he must lie by the
way-side till some Samaritan came past.
Luckily this proved to be Miry and her
mother, who were shocked to find him
lying on the grass, pale as a sheet, and
pressing with effort the grOans of
pain that all but opened his tirm-set
lips in spite Of his selt-cOnuol. With
AImira's strong arm to help, and his
own efforts, he was at last laid in the
bottom Of the wagon and taken to the
house, where the old farmer came to
the rescue, and before long Sam was
carefully laid on ''ma's" own bed in the
little room off the kitchen; and Henry
being yet in that unpleasant swamp
LOOKING Tor MISS Betty, ALmlra herself
drove hurriedly back to the village and
fetched the doctor
Two hours after, as Sam lay there
splintered and helpless, but not uncom-
Portable, he could not but hear a blum
dering foot stumble into the kitchen,
and the old farmers voice in its gruffest
tone begin
"Where in thunder hev ye ben, Hen
cry Pine? Here's the old cat to pay
cows hum two hour back, an nobody
to do a chore but me; Sam fetched in
with a broke leg, mother e'en-a'mOst
distracted, Almirv obleeged to 90 arter
the doctor herself, and you a-wantin' ="
"Well, swan to man," responded
Henry, in an injured growl, "I've ben
a-doin' my darnedest to find that tarnal
Jarsey keow. She's led me sech an