Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-06-14

SAID the man. Ii you manage to bring
it around it's well worth five dollars to
you, and if you lose it you lose your
fifty cents. You take your choice, you
e 1t is a fine breed"
Dick was too good a farmer not to
be able to see at a glance the possible
ties that lay in a fine calf, and said
"Ill take it."
The man helped him to get it out of
the wagon, and the boy had a hard
time getting it into a shady place,
where he left it lying until he could
bring some cool water. The poor crea-
ture would not, or could not drink, so
he bathed its head and then sought his
mother, a reliable counsellor in all
matters pertaining to the treatment of
dumb animals, particularly the weak
and helpless sort.
Nothing better thar you've DONE"
she said. "Let it ! lie in the shade and
rest. By and by it will take water if
it picks up at ALL"
She was right. Before night the ex-
hausted animal lifted its head aid
opened its eyes as in grateful acknowl-
edgement of Dicks care and solicitude.
After a few swallows of water it took
the warm milk which stood next in the
list of mothers restoratives. Dicks
father came around to see the invalid.
cts coming to like everything, faith
en-" said the boy after telling his his
tory.
"Good-looking calf" said his father,
with an approving nod.
eyes," said Dick, eagerly. "I'm
going to take good are of it and feed
it up, and it'll make a good COW in
time. Be worth a good deal, eh, faith
err ?"
"At my expenseY" asked his father.
Dick had not thought of that. AS
the worn-out animal revived he had
considered but one side Of the question
the pleasure of raising it himself,
and in time becoming the possessor of
a valuable COW. But here was the
other side presented. His calf must
be pastured through the Summer, and
when Winter came on provided with
food and shelter.
"Well, / don't mean just that" said
Dick, after a few minutes thought. 81
want to keep it here, but l ( don't ex-
pect to have it kept for nothing. |
want it to be every bit mine, and I'd
like to pay you regular rates for it
that is, if you'll hire me to work, so I'll
have something to pay with"
II WILL" said his father, we'll pleased
to see the boy interested in work of
any kind.
Dick, as we have guessed, had high
hopes of the profits he was to make on
his calf, which, as it quickly recovered
from the effects of its march, gave good
promise of not disappointing him. But
he soon began to realize That it would
require a fair amount of what his faith
er called good solid work to provide
for his new charge.
He was not naturally fond of work,
and more than once felt tempted, when
the weekly pay for the ~pasturage of his
pet was coming due, to make a pro-
position to his father to take the ami
NAL off his hands, paying him a fair
advance on what he had paid for it.
But his pride always arose between
him and such a way out from under
the burden he had undertaken. His
piece of live stock was doing we'll, in
creasing in size and beauty with a
rapidity which he could almost see
from day to day, and the older it grew
the less inclined he felt to part with it.
Winter taxed him still more severe
ly. He was then attending school, and
found that it took nearly all his leisure
time in the short days to provide for
the support of the fast growing animal.
Don't work the boy too hard,' said
mother n day.
at won't hurt him a Bit" said faith
er. "The vim he is showing, the steady
stick-to-it that it's bringing out of him
is worth a ! long sight more than the
calf is"
you're quite right" said grand
father. "No it won't hurt him. He
gets a little time to play a game of
checkers in the evening, doesn't he p
Sometimes, when he doesn't have
to study" said mother, laughing. "He
is too much like you, father, to let the
checkers CO."
The calf quickly developed into a
dainty young heifer, full of grace and
beauty in the eyes of many besides her
proud owner, and had settled down
into the dignity of a young matron,
when one evening Grandfather Wea-
therby came over and challenged Dick
to a tilt of checkers.
"Ill do it, sir, but you'll be likely to
beat me all hollow" said Dick gravely.
II haven't played for a long time"
He handed the board to the old
gentlemen, then stepped up to his room
for a moment. Grandfather leisurely
set his men and then stood in astonish-
ment as Dick took his seat behind the
board.
"What-hey? What's all this ?"
Dick was also setting his men-not
however, the red ones that usually
played against the black, but twelve
shining gold pieces. He sat back in
his chair and laughed at the old gen
tleman's astonished face before saying,
"I'm a little older than you were,
grandfather, when you set your board
with silver pieces, but as these are gold
don't you think we are about even 2"
"Ho, no laughed the old man. "He
said he could not beat me but | am
beaten the worst kind!"
cts the price of my COW, said Dick.
"Sixty dollars, and cheap enough at
that, father says. Fathers bought her
so she stays here on the farm. |
wanted to sell her and put my money
into something else, but | had not the
heart to let her go away. Mother says