The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-08-04
FARMER BROWNS. SUMMER BUT
TED

FARMER BROWNS SUMMER BUT
va TER. 4. ,a-5s 5.
"Stan' 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
must do all we can TO help here Guess
she thinks you know just about as much
as do. But I'd like to kiss her once,
anyhow; wouldn't you. BessPP lrr7
So spoke George Sterling, Farmer
Browns hired man, to his particular
conlidant, the handsome Aderney COW,
whom he had named s.Queen Boss. :"
Ding dong. went the breakfast-belE
swung by Dolly's plump, strong arm.
and the young farmer turned his COWS
into the pasture. one by one, 'tBrindle,
Ebony, Speokle andd Bess,, and then
carried the trimming pals into the large,
cool milk-room. af
YOU'RE good mixer, George and
Dolly smiled up ut him as she looked at
the clean, rich milk. Il believe, with
YOU to help me, [ can make some nice
butterthis summer
1t made pretty picture in the morn
ing sunshine. The large, old-fashioned
red farmhouse, with windows and doors
invitingly open. flowers and tall trees
Frightening sand Identifying the yard
and garden. There We're. lilac bushes
and hollyhocks, pinks, peoples, mari
Colds and suniiowers, fine old New En-
gland varieties. Inside the house every
thing looked comfortable. The kitchen
was large and airy, having two outside
doors opposite each otlier and both open
ing on to wide, clean-swept piazzas.
The floors were p@;nted spruce yellow
and were smooth shd clean. An old
fashioned light-stand stood near n win
dow and on. the. white spread which
covered it was basket of stockings,
with balls of including yarn, and 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 over its
back.
The breakfast-table. would have ap-
peared inviting to any one 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 oil
SltNtu anu u DllCutI VI lush tIlllk,
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 il best to e stand the
Storm which would have broken over
her head had she used every day the
sacred company silverfor Dolly was
brave girl, and did not yield when il
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 inn
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 i'm the matter Of
napkins she was firm.f She feltit both d
duty and a pleasure to aecustom her lit
flebrother andthe youn 9 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
ffiSttl cups, u litsii Hfitu cOlidT Ut ncf
throat and her hair nicely brusheda "a
passing observer would have thought il
pleasant group gathered around the
table that summer nnorning- farmer
Brown opposite his daughter, Aunt Sail,
and Dolly's young brother at one side,
and George Sterling the hired man, al
the other. SSSs 49, s4el
I" Father. I'm going to put down my
first.tuh of butter tozday,p " said Dolly
$50 You see it's an important day in my
life
Eyes, my dear, and | hope you'll gair
the day and put down good tub; but
suspect after George has churned anC
washed the butter, the credit II be gooC
deal due TO him if it,s.good. ~
Yes, indeed fathers but r m going
TO work Just as hard as Geor9e. does, anC
Dolly Browns butter VIII Be the mos
famous butter in the country, you
----s-si.sy fs-stssss.,'s-sssss
.'You'd better wait till fall before yo,
: brag about your butter.'' interposeC
Aunt Sally. atsH therb buyers won't pay
nothin' for it, you won't feel SO fine,
guess
well, Il shall try hard to have i
good,h returned Dolly land I'm no
going to bother myselfSa summer b,
fearing that the buyers Honst pay any
thing for it, u
mo. don't fret YOURSELF Iguess if
didn't skim the milk, you'd fnd you
butter'd be a pretty mess 1t makes
sight o difference how milk 5 sk'tns
The rest amt nothin' in comparison
But, then, of course, nobody IN thi.
house never does anything bat Dolly
But can remember twenty years befor,
she was born, and there was butter ane
cheese made in them benighted days
and in this house, too.''
80, well, Aunt Sally said Mr.
Brown. s'Dolly's young housekeepel
and needs encouraging a bit, Meb6,
she'll have poor tub or two; but, if she
does the best she can, we shan't find
fault.' .ss,....ak
George Sterling said nothing; but be
longed to box Aunt Sally $ ears soundly
and, if his confidant, Queen Bess, had
been near, he would have told her that
he longed oDkiss away the tears that he
saw glistening in Dolly,s sweet ewes, rs
she cleared away the breakfast things.
The summer days came and went.
The birds that sang in the trees near
Dolly's chamber window woke her each
morning with their Joyous carols, and at
night the distance-softened song Of the
frogs away in the meadowslulled her to
sleep. Aunt Sally rose early ten morn
ings during. the entire summer, walked
majestically into the milk-room and
skinned the milk. Those were happy
days in the Brown family. The exercise
and the fresh breakfast disposed the
molecules of Aunt Sally's physical sys-
tenn little more amicably toward each
other, and the spiritual elevation that