Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-21
CLOVEE.


Bessie Moore was out in her fathers
pasture, back Of the barn, picking black
berries, when she was startled bv the
blast of the horn. A look of anxiety came
over her sweet face as she ran quickly and
Climbed the fence to see if Mr.. Thyson,
the "meat-man," who blew his horn
twice week to announce mis- coming,
was to stop. She watched the horse
climbing the hill; and when she saw her
mother come to the back-door and swing
towel she threw herself on the ground
and sobbed as though her heart would
break. She knew full we'll that it was
not to buy meat that her mother had
signaled for Mr.. Thyson to stop, for, al
though she was but ten years old, she was
aware of the fact that there was no money
with which tc buy it. Ono! She real
lzed that the event she had been dreading
SO long was to happen now-that her pet
calf, Glover, her only playmate, so white
and so fond other, was to be sold. Week
after week she had heard her parents dis
cuss the subject of selling Clover, but
week after week they had heard the
butchers horny blow aad had let the
wagon go by But affairs had been com
ing to a crisis lately. Her father, who
had been sick all summer, was too feeble
to work, and the small stock of money he
had saved was rapidly going. She knew
that he could not afford to feed the calf
through the winter, and she knew that
Mr.. Thyson wanted her and offered a
large price for her.
MIR. Thy sCn was q man who wanted to
possess ali the rarest specimens of cattle,
and he had been very anxious to buy this
calf, which was to be the handsomest
creature, in color and shape, ever seen in
LoudoEn county He was selfish man,
wlthal, and was very ready to take adj
vantage OF Mr.. Moore's misfortunes to get
her. lie was known throughout the
country as 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 nei ghbors'
troubles or felt it is duty to share or re-
heve them. He had one child, boy
about fourteen years old. named Tom, and
he was determined, if possible, to teach
him to be as shrewd IN business matters
as himself: but so far Tom had not shown
much progress in that direction. He Of
ten went with his father as he rode through
the country with his meat, and was ad-
vised by him to>'watch sharp" for he
would soon be old enough to take the
business himself. And Tim did swatch
sharp and his large brown eyes grew
moist with tears to see his father take
Bessie's calf away, for he knew how Bessie
loved Glover, and that it was only neces-
ity that made Mr. Moore sell her. Mean
time Bessie had climbed the pasture fence
and crep. quietly behind the barn. where,
through big crack she saw and heard
all that passed. Then, as the wagon
turned to go out of the yard, she went
back, and, running across the pasture with
all her might, climbed the fence on the
other side, ran along the road to the cor
ner which she knew the wagon must pass,
and waited for it. AS she saw it coming
she waved her hand for it to stop, and, in
trembling voice said:
Oh, please stop minute I want to
ask you something,
Mr.. Thyson drew up his horses, won
dering what child it was in such appar-
ent distress, for he didn't 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, whipping her tears with her
stained hands, had smeared her face so
as to be hardly recognizable. Her long
f1axen hair was blowing in every direction,
and her hat was lying on the other side
OF the pasture fence, whore 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
matter?"
"Oh, I am so afraid your farther will
kill my Clover. You don't know how I
lovs3.her and can't help crying; and here
the poor child broke down and sobbed
bitterly. Then, as she saw Mr. Thyson
draw up the reins to start, she continued
''Perhaps ifpapa gets well he can buy
her back, you know. So you won't kill
her, will you?"
No, no, child; I won't Kill her.
She's too pretty too kill. [ will take
good care Of her, and you can comeTand
see her whenever you want to-"
"Ihen guess can stand it better. I
came out here SO that papa could not see
me cry, for that would make him worse.
I knew 1 should cry when 1 said good
by to Clover" And 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.
"Queer, said Mr.. Thyson, as they drove
along, ''that she should feel So Well, 1
can't help it. If hadn't bought her
somebody else would It's the way of
the world. It don't do to give way to
little thingslike this you know, Tom. 1t
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 tall there was about it" it
it made him very uncomfortable. In
spite Of all his reasoning he couldn't help
thinking how easily he could spare feel
enough from the loads of hay and stacks
of grain with which his barns would soon
be overhowing to keep the calf for