The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-24
I'm not a red thing, 1

ABOUT your legs said Bardle, very
distinctly. "You hold your dress up so
high that the COW will get mad.
shouldn't wonder if she killed you"
Aunty vouchsafed no reply, but strobe
majestically on, scorning to veil by one
half inch of concession the somewhat
unnecessary eonspicuousness of her long
scarlet stockings. Bardie looked at her
very hard.
ga very cross dog lives in the barn."
he remarked. she bites people. Not
young ladies, Nora darling, nor children
he is real good to little boys; but other
people he bites"
| could not speak, and did not dare
to laugh. Aunty's face was awful.
81 am going to the barn." she said,
briefly.
We made our way through the ducks
and hens, skirting perilously yard full
of pigs, and tremblingly passing small
window in a shed, where protruded a
great head, with short horns and soft,
beautiful eyes, but low rumbling note
proclaimed that it was the bull, the ter
ror of our field walks and grove picnics.
Not that we had ever really encountered
him in the body, but in the spirit he
always seemed to haunt the next field,
or be screened by the shadiest tree.
"Oh, Bardie, don't like the looks of
him." l whispered.
"Take hold of my hand I'll take care
of you," said the little knight; and we
passed the monster, that looked yearn-
ingly at us in our freedom, and gave a
resounding below that shuddered
through and through me.
Bardie laughed at my fears.
"What are you 'fraid of, Nora sweetP
He has got big ring in his nose, and
can't do any thing. Any body can lead
him about. Papa said once that if you
could only put ring on a person, you
could lead him by his nose"
"What's that?" said Aunt Urania,
from behind.
We entered the barn, full to over
flowing with sweet new hay, and fra
grant with its perfume, and with the
breath of the patient COW, that lay con-
tentedly in her corner, with her head
raised in watchful care of her little
weak-legged, scrawny offspring. 1 had
never seen a very young calf before,
and was disappointed.
"Veal!" pronounced Aunt Urania.
" And not particularly good at that, |
should say
Bardie did not understand the
prophecy.
"Isn't it lovely?" he cried. 81 wish
papa would buy it for me, the dearest
little thing! What makes it look so
funny and wetP"
"lts mother has been giving it some
thing which is good for all little chill
dren, Bardie," said my aunt. "Par-
ticularly for little boys. A good lick
ing!"
Bardie understood this time, and
looked vengefully at her. Then snap
ping the fingers of his minute hand to
the old dog, that lay near Tapping a
heavy good-natured tail against the
hard boards, he uttered low but per-
fectly distinct est, boy!'
Up jumped the obedient Bruce with
clumsy leap, and ran, barking loudly,
to the door, where he supposed the un-
seen enemyto be lurking. Aunt Urania
fidgeted.
"Did you do that, you little rascalP"
she asked, not quite sure, however, for
she had been watching my successful
effort to climb to the top of a great
mountain of hay, where now sat amid
the fragrance of dried clover leaves,
and felt in Paradise.
1t was an admirable point of view,
but not convenient place to render as
sistance in an emergency. And thus it
happened that l could see the COW,
gowing uneasy at the hubbub, rising to
her feet, and finally, with threatening
look, advance step or two with low
cred horns. could see it all, but was
powerless to help, and could only
scream,
"Aunty! Bardie! the COW! the cowi''
Quick as wink Bardie slipped past
the angry animal, and, as he expressed
it, " Skinned up" the haymow, where
he perched himself trump hantly beside
me. Dignity and age alike forbade the
exercise of shining to aunty, notwith-
standing Bardie's opinion of her length
of limb. She wavered, tried for one
brief moment to "look the animal in
the eye," but a forward movement on
the cows part put that idea to flight,
and she turned and fled, pursued only
few steps by the disturbed mother, who
"saw her to the door," with loud moo
of dismissal, echoed in distant thunder
from the small window wherein cleaned
the bulls excited eye; pursued also,
am ashamed to say, by derisive laugh
from Bardie, who stood on one leg, bal
ancing himself with a pitchfork, and
shrieked out, 81 told you she hated
red things. Isn't it fun"
We Struggled down in the hay, and
let the COW quiet herself by vigorous
return to her nursery duties, and then l
whispered little admonition to Bardie
on the subject of his behavior to aunty.
1t was by no means the first time I had
rebuked my small charge, and he took
it very penitently; though when found
myself saying, at isn't like mammals
little boy to act so," 1 came to full
stop, with sudden remembrance of
Susie's inveterate naughtiness when
Aunt Urania was in the question.
He liked to hear about mamma, the
sweet, bright, unknown image, whom
nobody but had ever brought to his
mind, and he lay with his head in my
lap, listening to my stories of our child
ish play and adventures, until the