The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-07-31
THE COLOR OF THE CALF.
AN ACcouNT OF A WONDERFUL RU-
RAL MYSTERY.
A Calf which Was Sometimes Roam
and as Often Ned md White
Uncle Ierry's Story.

A Calf which Was Sometimes Roam
and as Often Ned and white
Uncle Jerry's story.
''How air yer, boys2 Pm glad ter see
yer" said Uncle Jerry, as he mopped his
red face vigorously. ''Cum cen an sot
down; I've got sumpin' ter tell yer, I've
beef down ter Princeville, an Tve got
ther best joke on Fred Beach yer ever
heard Yer see Fred he went ter sale
sum time ago an bought a red COW fer
SIS. Quite likely cole COW she wer,
too, aii' wer sed ter be good mixer.
Well, Fred he brought ther COW home
an turned her inter Dan Hitchcock's |
paster. He uset ter go down an salt her
wonct in while, an one afternoon he
went down, an, be-gosh! ther ole COW
he'd leetle roam caff. 1t were a very
peart caff, too, an butted Fred fust
thing. He wuz much tickled, an went
back home ter tell his wife ez how ther
ole COW he'd roam caff. That evenin'
they both went down ter milk ther COW,
ez she wuz great mixer an Civ more'n
ther caff cud drink. When they got ter
ther paster thar wuz ther ole COW, but
ther caff she he'd with her wuz red an
white one. Missus Bach she laffed an
sed: Fred, reckon yer putty good
ledge NV thur euler Nv catf; | thot yer
sed that wuz roam caff.
{" I'm blamed eff it wuznt roam caff
when seed it fust, said Fred, scratch
in his head an lookin' troubled.
"'See here, Fred, sed Missus Beach,
euddent an sharp like, hev yer got 'em
lgin9'
Erred wuzn't much surprised, ez
.eller'd naturally suppose he wud be, fer
he'd bean drinkin' putty hevy NV late, an
wuz thinkin' Nv it himself. He just sed,
L reckon kind NV mcck-like, en- sot
down ter milk tn r COW. Nothin' wuz
sed durin' ther milkin' but both NV 'em
KEEP a-lookin' kind Nv anxious at ther
caff, ez eff they wuz expectin it ter change
euler When Fred got thru milkin' he
TUX long look at ther caff, hove big
sigh an sed: We'll, Mary, Pll come
down here an do ther milkin' termorrer
mornin an ef that catf changes euler
agin, I'll 90 ter bed an send fer Doc
Marcy"
Erred an his wife ct supper mighty
solem that night, an Fred didn't take
his appetizer ez usual. He moped aroun
town that night, sayin' nothin' ter no.
body. Next mornin' he went ter ther
paster mighty nervus, and when he clim'
ther fence an looked over at ther ole cow
blamed eff ther caff wuzn't roam agir.
THAT settled it. He wuz so shaky
an scarf while he wuz milkin' that he
cudn't git ther strippins, an lost all ther
cream When he got home he shucked
his duds an went ter bed, without sayin'
word to his wife. She knowed what
wuz up, for she he'd tended him many
time when he wuz ther same way. She
uapt tor thor hntnhnn shne on' rot sIl1n
home. Doc he sed it was mild form
an wudnt last long, but Fred he looked
powerful bad. An long in ther arter-
noon his mind begin ter wander, an he
laid thar an mumbled 'roan an red an
white, an roan,' all afternoon.
sIn ther evenin' ther COW cum up her
self ter ther house. an Fred heard ther
caff bawl, an he rolled over an looked
outen ther winder, an ther caif wuz red
an white agin. An then he shut his eyes
an shuddered kinder, an called his wife
fer another drink Nv ice water. An SC
ther ole COW kept a-comin' up nights an
mornin's ter be MIXED, an every uthel
time tner caff wud be roam, and ever!
uther time it wud be red an white; an
every time Fred he wud look outen the
winder an see it, an then roll over an
drink more ice-water.
"But ther fun NV it wuz, yer see, thai
Missus Beach she wud see ther cali the
same way Fred seed it, an she got scarf
too. An finely she sez ter Fred:
guess yer amt got em, Fred. Brace up
now, like good feler, an git up an b
well. | see ther caf Just ther same c
YOU do. an ther amt nuthin' wrong wit
me. an so thar amt nuthin' wrong wit
: you.' e..
; .'Fred he looked at his wife kind u
5 solem, an sez: Il don't care Mary, hoy
e YOU see that caff; l kin see it too, an
: changes euler twice day, reglar. Tha
G amt no animal in ther worl ez KIN
s that, Mary. 'cept the leperd in ther Bible
: | guess yer hev got 'em yerself, but
e didn't think you'd drink. Mary. Ef "
1 drinkin' that liker | got frum Fran
!. Hitchcock yer'd better stop it, fer yer
: see snakes instid Nv calves inside Nv
week. sure
S SAN so ther ole COW KEEP a-comin' W
, an ther caif KEEP a-changln' euler, a
J. Fred waz a-gittin' wuss, TIL one day
II leetle boy cum ter ther door NV Fred
e house and knocked. Missus Beach ST
O wuz out, an Fred hollered fer him to Gu
IS in An the ieetle boy he cum IN an sec
It 'Pleze, Mister Beach, yer ole COW is on