Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-09-14
WOrking Under Difnculties.

HAAS' oPiAhiuS udu uduc up ner
mind the first warm day that came in
the spring she would wash her feath-
er tick. 1t came at last, and getting
up bright and early, she got John,
that's Mr.. Spilkins, to carry the tick
out in the yard, and then getting two
clean barrels, she emptied them very
carefully, laying a board On top, with
a rock to keep them safely.
Old Billy, a ram they had made
quite a pet of during the winter,
watched the proceedings very attent-
lively, and satisfying himself it was
all right and a legitimate transaction,
lay down by the sunny side of the
smoke-house, chewing his cud con-
tentedly, and meditated on the pros
pect of the coming grass crop which
had just begun to tinge the meadows
with IN emerald hue, and then dozed
off to sleep. About three O'Clock,
the. tick having been washed and dried.
Mrs. Spilkins concluded she would
refill it, and proceeding to the barrels,
commenced to carefully handle the
feathers and replace them in the tick.
She had emptied one barrel and had
about twO-thirds of the feathers out of
the other, when Old Billy walked up
from his noon ~siesta, and after blink
ing in the sur a while, discovered
Mrs. Spilkins engaged in a some
what curious business which he
thought necessary to investigate.
He marched up within about ten
feet in the rear, in good fanking dis
lance; down went Mrs. Spilkin's
head as she stopped and brought up
a tistful OF feathers. Billy watched
the operation in establishment, and
winked and bllnked fearfully, and
e stamped his fore-feet one after the
! other in a quick and decided man.
ner, which expressed rage and sur-
prise. Down went Mrs. Spilkins'
head into the barrel again, and there
was q corresponding backward move
ment OIL her part, which was aggra-
waiting to Billy, as the boys had taken
e this method of teaching him to butt,
and it began to get through his wool
that MIS-. Spilkius was challenging
him to combat.
q As the feathers got deeper into the
2 barrel, Mrs. Spllkins' movements
became nor energetic, and when
she made another dive in, and moth
Of ing but her apron-strings tied in q
ID. Ln.,, how b,.lin1 unra ,-iSihIa Rilly
could stand it no longer, and, salts.
fed that a legitimate challenge was
y given, gave a stamp of his foot, low.
to cred his head, and with a short, an
CRY bahia struck the how-strings a.
fair as ever a knight did shield, ant
Vi Mrs. Spilkins disappeared in the bar
at rel, while the feathers flew out be
lie hind like a snow-storm.
1t was a pretty tight fit, and Bill,
charged through the cloud of feath
ny ers once more, this time driving Mrs
~ Spilkins right through beyond til
of shoulders. so she gained the use @
her arms and feet, and after BLOWN
out about n peck of feathers from he
, mouth and the down out of her eyes
49, she grabbed an old broom. and wit
q the barrel around her, gave chas
re. after Billy, feathers flying, the barr,
.,e rafting and Billy ba-baing fit to xii
and Mis-. Spllkins screaming all sor
CT OF things at Billy, who. astonished
ose tue uproar and the fearful apparitio
he had invoked, leaped into a kett
:: of soft-soap which had been lett o.
over night to cool II frant
MS Jump and he landed in the half OPP
ern feather-bed. and his horns becomir
~entaneled in it, and Mrs. Spilkin
more enraged than ever, pursuil
ash him like an avenging Nemesis, buc
II ed and cavorted around, upsetting
cri- swarm of bees, and what with the
or filed with feathers and bees and I
ba ing of Billy and the screams
Mrs. Spilkins as the bees swarm
cut to the attack. the %neighbors W
ring came ru:ing up thought 1t WAS MI
,r, der and house-a-tire at the lea
Mrs. SpiIkins sat down in the bar
icN- and John hived her by putting
r 4 board ovcr it, and she had to s.
there till shutdown and the bees
gone to roost. Billy was a pla
looking object mex day, covered W
avn soap and feathers and Mrs. Spilk
re- vows vengeance if she eve can
&c. within hroom-shot of him, while
tica boys who watched the fun from
corn-crib door say they've had cir
enough to last them a year.