The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-07-03

HO"oV0r' OUT turned the conversation
70 tne subject of something else after
compllmenting me on the sheep and
saying, with a sunny smile, that they
were the most bucksome sheep she had
ever seen altogether.
Was she guying or chatting me in
my Old ageG Great Hickory Ellum, if
l a thought she spoke lightly 1 would
cheertully have charged her transient
rates while she was herel
These sheep have a presence" about
them which has driven AVA a new
saddle horse of mine, and we have to
tie the horse radish also. They eat the
grass and then go partially UP The trees
and eat the foliage off.
A sheep cannot even succeed itself in
the same room. MI. Morris lost % by
dogs at one time. That shows thateven
the most vile and worthless dog may
be OF use if he will get up and stir him
self.
l sold my sheep yesterday to Bill
Baldwin, the butcher. Igot $40. so out
OF them, and he had to drive them
away.
l thought when I got them that they
would come up to the library door
standing knee deep in the blue grass
and show off to those who came to the
villa to see us, but they only came up
to the house IN cold days when they
were molting, and they would shiver
and look cold, and their little chins
would CULVER, and they had never been
taught to use their handkerchiefs, and
[ am glad they're gone, for I soon al
most hated them, and they are as much
of a poetic fraud as a fool pigeon is.
Some times I think the best works of
nature 1 know of r purely artificial.
But farm life probably gives me that
idea.
We had on the place here for a good
many years a kind hearted COW named
Leydie. She was here before I bought
the farm and was beloved by all. She
was the kind of COW represented in our
earlier literature as "being in the lot"
She raised up quite a family, some of
whom went West. No one could really
say a word about Leydie, but age
finally overlook her, and I called Bill
Baldwin, the butcher, aside three
years ago and told him that Leydie
has passed her meridian as milkster,
yet that she was a delightful character
and the soul of honor.
'"Those things are all right" said he,
Tin a general way, but they do not add
to the value of a steak. Rev. Lyman
Abbott is one of the ablest divines in
the world, but with the Upper Congo
diocese a stouter man would be more
popular.
sit is so with Leydie. She has never
stepped aside from the narrow path,
way, and yet I doubt her worth as an
article of food" Still he took her home
with him, aiming to feed her up a little
and then take her life.
Every day when he came with his
steak and chops one of us would ask,
with tears which we could i'll conceal,
"Is this some of Leydie9"
"No," he would say in a low voice.
''This is some of Eli, that sterling old
stag of MI. Ledbetter's. You remem-
Der him, doubtless. Every one knew
Eli most as we'll as what they did Ley
die"
Time passed; months grew to years.
l thought several times that Mr.. Bald,
win had lied to us and slid Leydie of
on US without saying anything, and SO
we would not be panied so much.
Once 1 tasted a neat malleable steak
that reminded me of Leydie. 1t was
only last week. Three years had passed
away since we sold Leydie, and I said
to Baldwin this morning:
"You did a kindly act to say nothing
to us when you fed us with Leydie's
person. 1t was a delicate, nice, thought
full thing for you to think of, but ]
caught you now,"I said. Il selected
her yesterday. There was something
about Leydie that one could never for
get. We had some Of her yesterday,
William, did we not9"
"No," he said. "You are wrong.
You know a good deal, but now and
then you do not know so much as you
think you do.
II have always told you the truth
about Leydie. Every time you have
asked me about her l have told you the
truth.
when 1 bought Leydie of you, ]
saw that she would close out my bust
ness for me in about four days if ]