Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-11-30
IMPROVING HER MIND.

IN express determination to begin
operations on mise that very day.
My sister left on the morning train to
attend rs delegate II temperance con-
ycution, aud had no sooner been whirled
ont Of town than my brotlcr-in-iaw got
out his fishing tackle, put on his old
3 clothes, and declared he was ''going
3 fishing now" jnsi as il cared, as long
asst wasn't Sunday. The children were
out playing, and had promised ihoy
Wouldn't fight, 80 out of the yard, or
make u noise the girl was busy with
the dinner: it was model morning,
with warm sunsli3nc, Il cool breeze, and
fragrant silence, and seemed the most
suspicious of times to begin the ilipor-
. tllit task Of cuIIivatng my mind. So |
took up Shakespeare, turned to
"Otlcllo,' drew ny chair to III uplltcd
viuc-shadod window, began rcading,aid
ing 'liow did thrive III this fair lady's
love and she in mine" Now it seems
he was n. good deal like the fellows
nowadays, and accepted her fathers IN
vitations, visited them, dittcd with them
talked with them, and related his his
tory, "cvcn from boyish days" and in
u word did everything but propose, and
so ono nigkjDedemona set II nice little
trap into which he tumblcd hcadlong,
Of course that is, one evening she tn
couragcd him to tell her Of his advon-
lures and dangers, and when he had
finished, as hc said,
'Shc gave mo for my pains a world Of signs:
And sworc, in faith, twas strange; twas pass
ing strange;
Twas pitiful; twas wondrous piitu:
Shc wished she had rot heard ii, y0t slc wished
That heaven had H'ale her such a man; she
thankd me;
And bade mo II | had friend that loved her,
should but teach him how to tell my story,
And that would woo nor'
Now, haven't u word to say against
D@demoua, torit was perfectly right, aud
no mere than would lave done myself,
for hcr--whcn the gas was turned down,
sho was sure no one would hear, her,
and never dreamed il would get into the
papers-to say what she did to him.
But was very different thing for
Ohc'lo, in order to defend himself to get
up before lot of 'most potent, grave,
and reverend seignors," and tell how in
terested in him she was how she'd rush
around and wash the dishes and come
with "grecdy ear to hear him talk some
more, and how finally she said ''she
wished she had not heard it; yet she
wished that Heaven had made her such |
Il man and was thinking how mean
he was to give her away in that style be-
fore all those folks, when six children,
with more coming, rushed III and |
screamed:
"Oh She is dying, Aunt Chat. Shes |
dying"
"Who!" asked indihercntly.
"The COW, Come quick, the COW "
With the rapidity of lightning went
from tho presence of the grave and re-
vcrend signiors to the cow-yard where
she was tied part of the time, and there
the noble animal that gave milk for five
families, lay on her back with the rope
twisted around one horn and ono ley,
while ever and anon she would attempt
to rise, groan, and jam her other horn
INTO her side, and lash the ground with
her tail, even as Il storm lashes the
ocean waves. looked ut her in dos
pair, thought of the big reputation for
charity my sister had worked up on the
skim milk she gave away, and said to
the children who were clamoring for me
to do something for her: "Keep still,
you little idiots; don't you see she is
dying, and | can do nothing? Don't
you soc forty men could not put her on
feet, and if she was turned over it would
run her horn right straight through her
heart ~ ... .. ....
Just here she made another plunge,
and | cried out in my agony. Il
sob. can't we get q man anywhere, 7
anywhere, Run for the butcher; hire
some one to shoot her, and put her ont
of her misery send for the doctor.'
Here big boy who had been attracted
by the hubbub vaulted over the fence,
took in the situation at a glance, and
cried .....
"Give me the butcher knife or the Az"
"Don't you dare kill that COW" I
exclaimed, bnt before the words were
fairly ont of my mouth, he had seized
an AK and started towards her, and
''slrouding up my face turned away
10 weep where I could see her not till