The Van Buren press., 1893-07-15
LESSONS ON THE FARM,
The Little City Cousins First Day In the
Country.

country.
We'll teach him a thing or two?'
nodded Ben.
Cousin Archie? Well, yes" chuckled
Ned. II guess when he goes home he'll
think Il city chap can learn little
something on farm
"Hm-m!" shifted the hired man. aye
needn't s'pose you're a-goin' ter dew all
the teachin' They larn some mighty
GURUS things down ter them New York
skewls nowadays"
But the boys were not convinced
They only looked at each other and
winked as they went on with theil
work Ben was turning the grindstone
for the hired man to sharpen hisscythe
Ned was slowly pouring ON the water
In tiny stream from the tin dipper.
Across the yard little Annie was
swinging on the stout gate at the end
of the gravel walk. Every time the
gate swung out beyond the hedge which
separated the farm from the grass
bordered village road the little girl
took a long look down the road;
the exhilarating little journey, it
shut together with a sharp
bang that would nave jerked less ex-
perienced rider from her position, the
child glanced up to the window where
mamma sat sewing and then to the
door of the shed near which her broth
ers were at work, and shook her small
head in a way that clearly said: mot
yet"
Cousin Archie was coming from the
city to spend few weeks on the farm.
Papa had gone to the station to meet
him; mamma had cooked great pans of
cookies and doughnuts, and baked sew
eral extra pies and a chocolate layer
cake; and the two boys, Ben and Ned,
were prepared to slip behind the barn
out of sight at n moments notice.
At last came glad cry from the
gate: "Here they come! here they
come!" flying figure disappeared up
the road, to return seated in triumph
on her fathers knee, driving with her
small Drowned hands the noble span of
great farm-horses.
"Archie has never seen a cow
millSed," his mother had written, ''or
watched the hen with her chickens, or
seen the pigs fed, or. heard the croak-
ing of the frogs, or picked berries. I'm
sure he will be very happy with you
for he is always eager to learn, and his
cousins can teach him SO much that
will be new and interesting"
"Such little greenie!" Ben had
said, with much Importance. "Proba-
bly, he won't know hen from a tur-
key, and will think the pigs ought to
take morning bath every day before
breakfast" Ben was thirteen years
old. and so was, of course, very wise
at least so thought Ned, who was only
eleven. and Annie who was but nine
Just Archie's age.
"Want to go after the cows with us" !"
invited Ben, soon after Archie's arrival
that afternoon.
Eyes, indeed, assented Archie,
"Where are they?"
They're attending social down by
the bars" said Ben. ''We can't send II
carriage for them tonight, so We'll
have to go down and see them home. '
"IIow funny he talks" thought
Archie. "IIe must be a very droll boy.
l am sure shall like him." but he said
nothing.
ssTools it all in, didn't he?" chuckled
Ned. Hell learn some things before
he's day older!",
Cows look so large when they are
coming straight toward you! Archie
was not in the least used to such IA
miliarity; and although his cousins
would have been more terror-stricken
in crossing Broadway, they were great
ly amused to see him dodge and make
for stone wall when peaceful old
cow came lounging toward him.
"Waye your arms at 'em," instructed
little Annie. ''You can shoe EN- most
MS easy as hens!"
Snow" asked Ben, (which shall !
show YOU first-the one from which we
mill, molasses, or the one which gives
kerosene?'
"Ha! ha! ha!' laughed Archie, cor
dially. "What a droll boy you are!
But, Cousin Ben, wish you'd just hold
one of their mouths open moment, so
I could look down and see the gullet
where the cud goes first"
"What do you mean, Cousin Archie?'
Annie asked.
"Why, you know the COW carries a
sort of lunch basket around with her.
explained Archie. merrily. "When she
finds a nice clump of grass she bites 1t
off and rolls it up with her tongue into
n ball, and packs it away in kind OF "a
nouch. Then when she's where she
can't feed, she brings it up, and chews
and chews on it, and that time it goes
down into her stomach and is digested.
,yonder"-he broke off, turning TO
the boys-"if u COW ever chews the
.ap,e end over twice? Does she?'
.I'm sure | don't know" confessed
Ben.
Cows had always been 50 familiar to
+bem neither Ben nor Ned had ever
thought of studying them in this way
aTbis COW is chewing her cud, an
.a,,rcad Rem. rather ashamed not to do
chat his cousin asked, yet not daring
to attempt it. :,
Down ON his knees Archie watched
eagerly. why he said, IN SURPRISE
..s6e seems to bring it up from some
where down in her stomach. thought
perhaps she had pouch IN her cieeAs,