The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-01-26
The JERSEY Cow.
HOW MR.. T WAS CON
WINGED.
First Prize Essay Of the Ameri-
can Jersey Cattle Club.
by Mrs. Isa Bayler.l

was synonym for the choicest and
best in his line He was a man de-
voted to his family, indulging them
in every want possible or practicable.
He usually kept three, sometimes four,
Of his favorite breed for family COWS,
to supply the cream and butter needed.
His wife went to Ohio on 4 visit,
and while there became very much in
fatuated with Jersey COW, a pet Of
one of her sisters. Coming home, she
importuned her husband to buy her
a Jersey, but he told her he would be
ashamed to let the neIghbors see one
on his place-that it seemed to him
a man was running down pretty low
in stock when he kept Jersey. "Why,"
said he, "l'd rather keep a goat, for
that wouldn't look as if we're trying
to keep COW and we're too poor to
do So But his wife Gas he told it)
"plagued the life out of him." want
ing Jersey; SO one day at a sale some
miles distant he bought, for mere
song, a poor little runty, ill-kept
Jersey heiter said to be with calf He
started home with her, feeling more
and more ashamed of his purchase the
nearer he got home. Fearing to meet
some Of his bantering neighbors, he
let down a rail fence at the lower end
of his farm and drove the animal up
through corn rows and by-lanes till he
got into the back yard. Calling his
wife, he said, "Mary, here is your
Jersey, but for heavens sake, when
any one speaks of it, tell them it is
yours and yours alone"
"All right, John; III keep it in the
yard with the children.'
All the fall the children and the
heifer played together, she sharing
their bread and butter, they using her
for horse, dog, COW or anything their
fancy suggested, and growing dearey
to them each day. When winter came
on the query was, where to keep her.
One thing certain, she must be kept
in some place where the children
could care for her, So an old woodshed
was fitted up, and "Bessie," and the
children given possession. Christmas
morning they went as usual to feed
"Bessie,' but Immediately came rush.
ing back, brea1hless with excitement,
fairly tumbling over each other to say,
80, mamma, papa! there's little calf
with ssBessie," little calf, little bit
of calf. Oh! come and see.''
A few weeks later a baby brother
came to fill the cradle that had been
empty tor long months (ever since
the angels had called its last frail
occupant and as the days went by
all hearts grew sick with the fear that
the angels would soon bear little Roy
away too. The white-haired family
doctor, spying the Jersey in the yard
one day, said to Mr.. T., els that
young COW giving milk p eyes it
has calf; it belongs to Mary and the
children" "Well, feed the baby on
its milk. | have known some remark
able cases of puny babies thriving on
Jersey milk So ''little Bessie had
to share with Baby Roy, in whom i'm
provement became marked from the
first trial
June came. "Little Bessie" would
now eat grass, and Roy was a great
big fellow, tipping the scales at twenty
pounds. Mrs. T. commenced saving
some of Bessie's milk to try the quality,
not saying anything about it to Mr..
+. One morning at breakfast he re-
marked, "It seems to me, Mary, your
coffee is a deal better than formerly.
OF what firm are you buying coffee
now?' "The same one,' replied
Mrs. T. but she smiled. Strawberries
came. Mr.. T. said one day at dinner,
"It seems to me berries and cream
never did taste as good as they do
this year" Mary only smiled. Harvest
came on; the harvesters remarked on
the excellent quality OF the butter.
"Yes!' said Mr.. T., 81 have a strain
of animals that are extra butter COWS"
"But, John, l haven't made any
butter for month past except from
"Bessie's" milk"
"Why! how is that?'
"Well, the man brought in such a
small quantity of milk, and it seemed
SO thin beside Bessie's, l have been
giving that to the calf and saving hers
to use, and that is why your coffee
and berries have been tasting SO much
better,' she ,riumphantly added.
"Well! well!' began Mr.. T., then
he was silent.
A few days later neighbor called
to HIM as he was reading on the front
porch; "Say, John, I wonder if your
folks could help US out with some
butter? Got harvesters, too busy to
60 to town, and wife says she must
have some butter"
81 am sorry, Friend B., that we can
not. My wife is only making little
butter now from that little Jersey
there"
Mary, passing through the hall,
heard the conversation, and, stepping
TO the door, said: 81 think l can ac-
commodate you, Mr.. B., have some
l can spare
an be very glad indeed ifyou can.
How much can you let me havee'
"Three pounds, if you want that
much; that is just what churned this
rnnrninp have about one and one