The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-03
FARMER BROWNS SUMMER BUT.
TER.

GAnluEU OUO % OOuu1llIe DO1e
TER.
ssStan' steady, Bess. You're the boss
COW, you know, and if you should tip
this pail of yellow milk over, Miss Dolly
wouldn't like it. Dolly's got to make
the butter this summer, and you and l
must do all we can to help her. Guess
she thinks you know just about as much
as l do. But I'd like to kiss her once,
anyhow; wouldn't you, BessP"
So spoke George Sterling, Farmer
Browns hired man, to his particular
confidant, the handsome Attorney COW,
whom he had named s.Queen Bess."
Dingi dong! went the breakfast-beI,
swung by Dolly's plump, strong arm,
and the young farmer turned his cow
into the pasture, one by one, "Brindle,
Ebony, Speckle and Bess," and then
carried the trimming pals into the large,
cool milk-room.
you're a good mixer, George" and
Dolly smiled up at him as she looked at
the clean, rich milk. 81 believe, with
butter this summer"
1t made a pretty picture in the morn
ing sunshine. The large, old-fashioned
red farmhouse, with windows and doors
invitingly open, flowers and tall trees
Frightening and identifying the yard
and garden. There were lilac bushes
and hollyhocks, pinks, peoples, mari
Colds and sunfowers, fine old New En-
gland varieties. Inside the house every
thing looked comfortable. The kitchen
vas large and airy, having two outside
doors opposite each other and both open
ing on to wide, clean-swept piazzas.
The floors were pN;nted spruce yellow
and were smooth aid clean. An old
fashioned light-stand stood neal o win
dow and On the white spread which
covered it was a basket of stockings,
with balls of mending-yarn, and a brass
candlestick, with an inch or two of
candle in its socket. A low kitchen
chair with rockers stood near, and the
last weekly newspaper hung v its
back.
The breakfast-table would have APP
peared~ inviting to any n in health and
good temper. A fairly clean, white
cloth, spun and woven by the grand
mother of the family;a small pitcher of
cream for the coffee; sweet, yellow but
ter and fresh rolls; light dougnuts, fried
brown; potatoes, eggs, some kind of
stewed fruit, and a pitcher of fresh milk,
for any who wished it.
Did they have napkins and silver
forks? Notexactly. That is, they didn't
have the forks. Aunt Sally made such a
fuss that, with al Dolly's other burdens
she did not think it best to stand the
storm" which would have broken over
her head had she used every day the
coo.aA oon,,~ony c,1ror fo,1r1 n01l,, ,ra
a brave girl, and did not yield when it
was wrong to yield; but persisted in do
ing as she ought and endured whatever
came. She had been away for two years,
attending an excellent school, and the
duty of clearly and in some sense
beautiful living had been strongly i'm
pressed upon her bright young mind.
Her mother had died, and now the main
responsibility of the housekeeping rested
upon the daughters eighteen-year-old
shoulders. Dolly did many things as
Aunt Sally directed, but in the matter of
napkins she was firm. She felti both a
duty and a pleasure to accustom her lit
tie brother and the young farmers whom
her father hired to refined WAYS of liv-
ing. She herself was pleasant to look
at, as she sat at the head of the table
Cher father wished her to sit in her moth
er's place., pouring the clear coffee into
pretty cups, a clean linen collar at hel
throat and her hair nicely brushed. A
passing observer would have thought ii
a pleasant group gathered around the
table that summer morning-farmel
Brown opposite his daughter, Aunt Sally
and Dolly's young brother at one side,
and George Sterling, the hired man, a
the other.
Father, I'm going to put down my
first tub of butter to-day" said Dolly.
$50 you see it's an important day in my
life"
"Yes, my dear, and 1 hope you'll gair
the day and put down a good tub; but
suspect after George has churned and
washed the butter, the credit IL be a good
deal due to him if it's good"
eyes, indeed, father; but I'm going
to work just as hard as George does, ant
Dolly Browns butter will be the mos
famous butter in the country, yor
naughty father"
you'd better wait till fall before vol
brag about your BUTTER" interposeC
Aunt Sally. eff the buyers won't pay
nothin' for it, you won't feel so fine,
guess"
"Well, 1 shall try hard to have i
good" returned Dolly; land I'm no
going to bother myself all summer b,
fearing that the buyers won't pay any
thing for it."
mo, don't fret yourself. Iguess if
didn't skim the milk, you'd find you
butter'd be a pretty mess. 1t makes
sight O difference how milk's Skum
The rest amt nothin' in comparison
But, then, of course, nobody in thi
house never does anything but Dolly
But / can remember twenty years befor
she was born, and there was butter an
cheese made in them benighted days
and in this house, too"
80, well, Aunt Sally" said Nj
Brown. ''Dolly's a young housekeepe
and needs encouraging a bit, Mebt
she'll have a poor tub or two; but, if sh
does the best she can, we shan't fin
fault"
George Sterling said nothing; but b
longed to box Aunt Sally's ears soundly
and, if his confidant, Queen Bess, ha
been near, he would have told her thu
he longed to kiss away the tears that h
saw glistening in Dolly's sweet eyes, 6
she cleared away the breakfast things.
The summer days came and wen
The birds that sang in the trees nea
Dolly's chamber window woke her eac
morning with their joyous carols, and {
night the distance-softened song of tn
frogs away in the meadows lulled her t
sleep. Aunt Sally rose early ten morr
ings during the entire summer, wake
majestically into the milk-room an
SKINNED the milk. Those were happ
days in the Brown family. The exercis
and the fresh breakfast disposed til
molecules of Aunt Sally's physical sy'
tenn a little more amicably toward eac
ether, and the spiritual elevation thu