Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-09-18
The Little Old Woman and Her
Cows.
A STORY FROM OVER THE SEAS.

STORY FROM OVER THE SEAS.
Oudenarde is town in the Neither
ands; perhaps the guide books spell 1t
Audenardc, ut longag when she lived
there, the country was known rs Flan-
ders, and the name of the town began
with o. They were times of trouble
then on account of the wars. The men
were nearly ali off for soldiers whether
they wanted to 60 or not; and the towns,
which all had high walls round them
for defence, fell first into the hands of
one army and then of the other, and
fighting was the chief business.
This woman, whose name was petro-
nilla, lived just off the road between
Oudenardc and Ghent, which Were
twelve miles apart; but she belonged TO
the iormer place, though she lived n
good way outside, and never went there
now; for not only did she feel too old
for the walk, but the town had a garri
son of soldiers in il, and was in danger
of being attacked any day, and she had
seen trouble enough without going to
seek it.
She was more than seventy years old,
and lived alone except for her cat. And
she was so poor that she had almost
nothing but two cows, and those she
would not have had long if the soldiers
had thought them worth driving of;
but rs they were not much more than
skin and bone, she was left in peaceful
possession of them.
Being piOus woman, when she said
her prayers ut night she never forgot to
say that the COWS Were n great deal to be
thankful for. On the lew pints OF milk
they gave, and little barley bread, she
managed to live, and also to keep her
eat in good condition.
The cat-his name was Solomon-had
belonged to her son Peter. So had the
cows, which he had raised from calves
when they had a nice farmstead of their
own, and all was prosperous with them.
Now the farm was gone, the horses
and the cattle, all but the cows. She
had only them and the cat
Her husband was dead and Peter was
lost. He had been forced into the wars.
and now for eleven years no tidings Of
him had ever reached her.
But she always prayed for him rs il
he was alive, and never gave over the
hope that he might come back-a mother
never does.
That was why she still lived near
Oudenarde; because if she went away,
and he should coma back, how could he
ever find her? Could he anyway. for
ihe war had ch .nged everythingP
She had found shelter In n little. old
hut with matched roof. The walls
looked ready To fall down, and the
thatch had Totted so that it let in the
rain; hut she kept il sweet and airy.
In fair weather the door always stood
wide open. showing the clean. clay floor,
a small fireplace with the dinncr-pot.
which had nothing in 1t, hanging on the
crane. two wooden benches. n table and
n bed, brass lamp. some pewter and
wooden dishes, and cruciiN ard
picture of the Virgin. There was
square window with latticcd bars across
it in checkers, and on the ledge was
always Il mug of flowers. and beside 1t in
sunny days usually sat the eat, which
was salmon-colorcd and immensely
large.
This was how the house looked one
September afternoon at sunset. Petro-
nilla had just MIXED the cows, and
bot Of them were safe for the night in
n little gard at the end of the house.
She stood In the door looking first mt the
smsil quantity Of milk in the wooden
dipper she leld in her hand, and then at
the cows, and saw that they were leaner
than ever. Their she gazed off upon the
dusty. dried-up fleids on whose out
skirts they had picked up their scanty
living. while she sat by watching them
with Knitting work in her hands; there
was almost nothing left for them; what
should she doo
Then she thought ofthe great meadows
along the river toward Oudenarde;
broad and green she could see them far
away this side the town. There the
grasses grew rank and high; and in this
time Of fear no man cared for them, or
would dare to cut them. A force OF
soldiers had Just gone into garrison
there, the gates were kept shut and
guarded the inhabitants dared not stir
0utside and 1T any moment the men of
Client might march down and attack
them.
II was no trespass to gather grass from
The river valley.
The longer she looked. the more She
feh that she could get some, and that she
ouKht to do 1t.
When she had made up her mind she
fell easier, and her face showed it. II
was n good face: brown, because she
had been out of doors 40 much, wrinkled
In row Of furrows clear across her
furehead, and wrinkled about her eyes
md chin, but il was kind and patient.
She tied dark handkerchief over her
rlean white cap, and tucked her small
checked shawl closer about her neck and
eruesed IL on her bosom outside Of her
buwn woolen gown. then she put n