The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-17
THIRD COWBOY.
CHOOSING A Wire.


threw himself upon sofa, picked up
paper, and read AS follows:
"a young man having matrimony in
view should ascertain before taking
this important step what the house
keeping abilities of his intended one
are. Many man has had both fortune
and happiness wrecked by overlooking
this important point.
sAny man, by little strategy, can
obtain the desired information; he can
have some business at her fathers house
early in the morning, or if she lives by
the roadside he can ride by and glance
in at the open door or window and thus
see which. mother or daughter, cooks
the breakfast.
COR he can take position behind
a,view of the barnyard, and find out
who does the milking-the knowledge
can be obtained, and it should be OBJ
taihed by some means, and in this case
the end iustifies the means"
"What paper is this?" said John,
looking for the heading. "The Cramp-
ton Herald. Yes, and this is good adj
vice for farmers son. Now" solilo-
qtired he, Il have about concluded to
marry Mary Johnson-that is, if she
will have me, and think she will-but
1 must confess that do not know much
about her abilities as a housekeeper. /
know that everything in their house
that Is, as far as L have seems in per-
feet order; but who takes care of the
house l don't know-perhaps Mary,
perhaps Mrs. johnson. Mary, know,
has taste, for she comes into company
as neatly dressed as any young woman
in the neighborhood; but then she has
had the advantage of two or three
years'city schooling, which fact may
account for her knowledge of dress, but
it argues somewhat against her knowl-
edge of domestic affairs-but will find
out"
"John, dinner" said his little sister
Kate, poking her curly head in at the
door.
While eating, John outlined plan of
operation.
II WILL" thought he, get up early
tomorrow morning, go across the
meadow to Johnson's corn-feld, and
then through the corn-feld to the barn
yard, cross the barn-yard to the
meadow. fence, and then creep along
this until 1 get to the bushes in front of
the summer-kitohen window, where 1
will hide. and there, not more than
a rod away, l can see everything that
goes on.
"What splendid General I'd make"
said he, chuckling, as he went to the
q al Ixx, h,,>>aa1f. l.
templated his plan the more he became
convinced of its brilliancy of concep-
ton and ease of execution.
II will tell Mary" said he, "of my
strategy after we are married-that is,
If she suits me, and / think she will
Love-" continued he, SIS said to be
blind, but will show Mr.. Cupid that
if he has pierced my heart he has not
affected my vision. And again, getting
married is said to be like putting your
hand into bag in which are ninety
nine snakes and one eel; but before /
putin my hand 1 intend to see the eel
Next morning John arose very early,
dressed quickly, and went down stairs
very quietly.
Going first to the barn he went half
wsy around it to get it between himself
and the house and then struck bee
line across the new-mown meadow
towadrs Squire Johnson's cornfield.
He had not gone far before he heard
q noise behind him, and looking round
he saw his old dog Nero at his heels.
"Go home, you old scoundrel, go
home" exclaimed John fiercely.
Nero looked up into his masters face
with an injured expression, then turned
round and trotted slowly homeward.
But he did not 60 far; stopping on q
little hillock, he turned round, sat down
and gazed after John.
Concluding that there was some mis-
understanding, he resolved to try again,
and in q few minutes was close at Johns
heels.
"You old villain! Didn't 1 tell you to
go homer" said John, turning round
and making pass at him with his foot.
Nero was now convinced that his
company was not desired, and the sticks
and stones that followed him as he
moved briskly homeward had a tend
ency to confirm him in his conclusion.
Ito Olu ot1ihp,
tered John, "would have all the Squire's
dogs about me in less than o minute,
and then good-by to my plan.
Mary johnson was the daughter, as
we have seen, of Squire Johnson, who
lived on the farm adjoining Westlake's.
She was a handsome, intelligent girl,
and of course good housekeeper, as
most intelligent country girls are and
as all girls ought to be. Mary's several
years at school had made some change
In her, but John found to his sorrow
that she had not lost the habit of early
rising.
This morning she arose somewhat
earlier than usual and went to the barn
yard to do the milking. AS she was
about to begin she glanced towards the
corn-field and saw some one coming.
"Who can that be?" she said. "As
sure as the world it's John Westlake !
i wonder what he is after! And he's
coming right here, and I've nothing on
but this thin gown oh, dearl what
shall do?"