Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-30
lEGlSLATIYr


Years were spent in IT,, .,-o years of
hard labor, first on one farm, and then an
otf.-i Twenty dollars a month and board
for seven months in the year, and $40 IN
the winter for chores and wood chopplng
and wood drawing, was no small amount
of ready cash for a Herring. How CAREFUL
ly he husbanded that money and counted
it over and over! With wise forethought
he not only bought each pure white calf OF
which he could hear, and sent it home to
be pastured on the old meadows hired OF
his father, but realizing how great was the
profit in the growth of stock, he bought
every "likely calf he could secure. As time
rolled on he had herd much too large for
the few home acres, and was hiring mead
ows and rugged upland of his old neigh
bors How proud he grew as he learned
that he was no longer JOSH Herring, but
"Mr. Herring, the greatest cattle raiser IN
New England"
But the day came at last, while he was
still in the prime of life, scarcely 40, that
the longed for twenty-four oxen were his,
twelve yoke of milk white cattle, not
dark hair upon them. Some were now old,
sedate oxen; these would make good "end
oxen,' leaders and wheelers Off one may be
permitted little license of speech), while
the more frisky, youthful steers would be
sandwiched between the more staid along
the line.
Surely this was team to be proud of.
even without the golden halo that the ira
ditional treasure gave 10 their value in his
eyes. Sometimes he felt so rich with all
the profits of his stock raising, accom-
plished on the so called worn out farms OF
New England, that he was almost resolved
not to try the chimerical scheme suggested
by the Sanders tradition But the Unborn
superstition and faith in tradition, that
leads the whole world more or less this
way and that, deny it who will, at length
decided Mr. Herring to set a day when the
deed should be accomplished
The thing most to be dreaded was the
ridicule of his old neighbors If he failed;
this must be provided against. Though
he had never heard the old saying, " II you
would seal your friends tongue, first dine
and wine him well, " yet his mother wit
suggested this very thing. He babe all
friends 20 a meadow banquet to be held
from II till on a certain day, and at 70
be present as he drove his team through
the fatcful pond
Though the wine was but the best Of
cider, yet it served its purpose and washed
away from the hungry and thirsty mouths
all hypcrcritical criticisms that envy might
have suggested. As they ate the cold tur
key aud munched the fine pies and cake
not one was heard to croak that the table
would not be found
II was with some inner trepidation, COW
cred well by outward calm, that he snap
ped his whip and started his team down
the slope toward the pond, while clinking
behind the last yoke OF cattle came the
heavy chain with its graphing hook All
held their breath rs Josiah stepped boldly
into the water beside the leaders, All
watched to see him get beyond bis depth.
and some even whispered Can he swim
if he finds himself sinking2n
But, 10, On and on he goes, till be has
reached the middle OF the pond As he has
felt the ground leaving his feet and finds
that though the water grows deeper and
deeper, as he well knows, yet neither he
nor his cattle have sunk an incn lower
than when he first began to realize that he
was being held mp by some wonderful
power-as he feels this with increasing
surprise he realizes that though deter
mined 90 try the feat be has not in the
past more than half believed in il himself
lie doubts no longer, be sees and feels
this strange support, and knows now that
soon the grapne win drag on the table
Slower und slower go the oxen now, as If
dragging burdcni He and the leaders
are coming out upon the bank upon the
Other side; one 10y one the pairs OF cattle
step on land-at last clank, clank. come
the last pair the sagging chain clanking
behind them; there Is u CLEAN in the water
surely. All, no. tits but the CLINT of a
westering sunbeam, But no, there is
omething-slowly. slowly coming to land,
not only the table that shall make the
IIerrings the Rothschilds OF New England, Z
but the table which shall remove forever
the curse from their descendants
The cheers of the assembled neighbors I
break upon the stiffness Of the meadows 4
at the south, and the hillsat the north and 4
east catch the sound aud cast il back from
one TO another Ike giants playing a rat
ding ball game How the hills echo and 4
echo again, long live the Herring fam
ilyf
Goodness gracious mer' sounds the ,
shrili voice Of Mum Herring. BE you
a-goin' 70 snore here an day. Here It's io
. clock an you asleep. Why IN all mater i
didn't You stay all night over to Granther (
Sanderses2 Yer might as well while yer
was aheout it!n
Oh, dear, aud oh, dear. twas nothing but I
a dream
And yet Il proved more, for there was
in JOSH Herring after all
When the first disappointment was over
be felt that even the dream had taught
him much. Why NOT nil his fathers past
ures with stock lie actually knew Of 4
farmers who would kill a calf rather than
feed il untilth law would permit them to
sell i 60 the village butcher and he knew
that De could get am the 3-days0ld calves
be could pay for az a dollar head
His mother agreed 70 help care for the .
and soon his idea was ia work
ny operation. lie went to work with n
viii, and found, as an Will do. that where
there IS o viii there IS q way.