The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-07-12
LESSONS FROM NATURE.

nodded Ben.
cousin Archie? Well, yes" chuclSled
Ned. Il guess when he goes home he'll
think a city chap can learn little
something on farm"
"Hm-m" shifted the hired man. "Ye
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
winlSed as they went on with their
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 long look down the road;
and when, at the other end OF
the exhilarating little journey, it
shut together with a sharp
bang that would have jerl1ed 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 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 chocolate layer
cake; and the two boys, Ben and Ned,
were prepared to slip behind the barn
out of sight at a moments notice.
At last came glad cry from the
gate: 'Here they GOMEZ here they
comet" A 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.
1
MIXED" his mother had written, ''ol
watched the hen with hG chickens, OF
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 thai
will be new and interesting"
'Such a little greenie!" Ben hat
said, with much importance. "Proba
bly, he won't know hen from tur
key, and will think the pigs ought to
take a 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 arriva
that afternoon.
Yes, indeed, assented Archie
"Where are they?"
They're attending a social down by
the bars" said Ben. "We can't send a
carriage for them tonight, so wei
have to go down and see them home.
Glow funny he talks" thought
Archie she must be very droll boy
am sure j shall like him." but he sale
nothing.
Took it all in, didn't hep" chucklet
Ned. Hell learn some things befor,
he's day older!",'
Cows look so large when they ar,
coming straight toward you. Archie
was not in the least used to such ia
miliarity; and although his cousins
would have been more terror-strickel
in crossing Broadway, they were great
} ly amused to see him dodge and max,
for stone wall when peaceful OLE
COW came lounging toward him.
"Wave your arms at EN-" instructed
little Annie. "You can shoe em mos
as easy as hens."
"Now," asked Ben, (which shall
show you first-the one from which w
milk molasses, or the one which give
kerosene?"
"IIa! ha! ha!" laughed Archie, cor
daily. what droll boy you are
But, Cousin Ben, l wish you'd just hol
one of their mouths open a moment, S
l could look down and see the guile
where the cud goes first"
"What do you mean, Cousin Archie?
Annie asked.
"Why, you know the cow carries
sort of lunch basket around with her,
explained Archie, merrily. "When sh
finds nice clump of grass she bites
off and rolls it up with her tongue int
ball, and packs it away in kind of
pouch. Then when she's where sh
; can't feed, she brings it up, and chew
and chews on it. and that time it goe
down into her stomach and is digestet
wonder"-he broke off, turning t
the boys-''if a COW ever ehews tn
same cud over twice? Does she?"
I'm sure / don't know" confesse
Ben.
. Cows had always been so familiar I
them, neither Ben nor Ned had eve
thought of studying them in this way
This COW is chewing her cud," al
nounced Ben, rather ashamed not to d
what his cousin asked, yet not DARN
to attempt it.
Down on his knees Archie watche
eagerly. Why" he said, in surpris,
"she seems to bring it up from som,
where down in her stomach. | though
, perhaps she had pouch in her cheek
= me as the little harvest mouse an
come kind of monkeys do"