Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-14
STAR.

/ ltwaa with Star as with crown princes
and heirs--she WIS thought Of and looked
for years before she was born.
In the first year after Stina and Charley
were married and had settled in the little
matched cottage in the wood at the out
skirt OF the village they used to talk at
least half an hour every night about how
lovely It would be 10 have COW OF their
own. n Charley had been sensible, he could
have had one long ago, but the trouble was
! that Star was his third love, and therefore
/ 81 took him long time before he could
/ own her. His first love was tho whisky
/ bottle, aud that took a whole years. earn
/ ings and all his leisure time. Then lac
/ happened TO work IN the game place as
stiua, aud he fell in love with her became
/ a temperance man, threw tho whisky bot
/ tie against tho barn wall, and hnd tho
bauns Published. Then came his third
1 lovc-a burning desire 10 have COW Of
| his own.
lie loved Slim ns much IA ever, but he
! liked 10 think OF her as sitting on a beau
! tliul SUMMER eve under tho large pine tree
on tho hill with snow white milk pan In
| front OF her, and her round, sunburned
/ check resting against the brown, shining
side Of the future Star. At last he could
not stand 1t any longer. ono morning he
| got up early and dug up six stones west
[ ~ the house. That was to be the founda-
! tiun Of the barn, and year later lie had Il
| little bnrn ready but not n cent yet to buy
cow with. Then ~ was decided that
they should buy calf OF the boss aud
| raise &c themselves.
A week later star was the light Of the
world. She ought TO have cost e. so when
Ia oil v
and a days work because he had been
confirmed the same year as the boss
Two or three ypgrs passed, and the calf
| grew 60 be II well developed COW. 1t was
often pretty hard TO feed her through the
| winter time, but IL Charles and Stinawere
Ohligedsometinri to eat frozen potatoes
| dipped In salt brine Star never lacked her
| full meal, and no COW was more beloved
than she. | am pretty sure that tho crown
| prince was delighted to rule bin when His
father, thu king, went round inaugurating
new railroads, but that was nothing In
comparison with the pride that filled tho
| lrcagtof Charley's llrstborn when he drove
| Star for the first time TO water.
The years passed by, and star became ms
ono Of tho family. Especially did sho re-
memhor one day in the fall when the old
est girl, who had just been confirmed, was
ing only pressed her hand and sighed, but
mother cried and put handful of cookies
| in the bundle, and the girl wiped her fnc1
! with the corner Of her hcadoluth, until her
| eyea werored, and when she had said good
/ by a. all In tho house she came ont TO tho
stile where star stood, and putting her
| arms around her brown neck she said;
! "Goodby, dear little Starn
| Then came hard times. bitter June
| night frost cut or the tpndcr blades Of the
| grain on the small patches round the cot
| tage, ind Charley had to borrow money to
buy flour for bread, and when fall came II
was worse still, for tho farmers could not
AFFORD 10 hire help. Charley could not
earn any money 10 pay Off his debt md
! then the sheriff came to hold an auction.
! Tho furniture was old and miserable. StR
wns the only thing Of value and was pu5
down M worth IS, A large seal was pus
/ ON her left horn, and Charley was remind
| ed OF the consequences In case he should
let tho cow disappear.
When the sheriit came out into the yard,
StinR stood thCle, white Rs ahcot, and
tried to keep hack her tears, but she could
not prevent n few from falling across her
already withond cheeks, IL happened that
the old sheriff did not attend this time
hut n now secretary, who had not yet that
hard crust around the heart that Is so use.
full In life. TherO wRs little moisture on
| his eyeglasses. He folt littlo warm in,
side, and he went into the barn and seraped
of the seal from Stars horn, saying to
Charlesi twill lend you the money. You
pay mo back when you can" stiun cried
still more and could say nothing but, God
bless you, sir;" and that a farmer who
stood by said, was mighty poor security,
IL Ha.aH - ~. ~. =
man prayed for "all faithful officers, OUT
Lord was reminded 10y StlnR OF the young
sheriff, and Star stood safely in the barn
for few winters more.
Then came hotter times again. Timber
rose Ia value. and Charley made money
cutting down trees. But one night they
carried him homo ON litter. Pine tree
had been caught by tho wind and had fall
en- unexpectedly over the saw lis chest
was crushed, and no could not 1.-Two, and
whom Charley was buried cast Of tho littld
meeting house, Stina felt that what little
JOY sho had had in life was gone now.
And so at last star had to hesold- therd
was no help Tor it--and Stina's steps to the
fair and her little daughters, were tho
heaviest they had trodden since they went
10 fathers funeral, IL was terrible TO sec
tho way the men handled Star. They
] iAAfANA Gnu NlhNN NlAN WIN klNhNAl nor,
Just ms Il she were common COW. bus
tho farmer who kicked her did not get hei
just the same, though no did offer 81 more
than the farmer who stnlkod her kindly
over tho neck. IL was n trihuto Of the poor
20 sentiment; tho last the poor woman
could pay 20 their dear OLD friend. When
the money was counted, and the girl had
put the last morssl from the lunehhaskel
into stnr's mouth, and the gay blue eyci
looked for the last time with questioning,
almost rcprnaohtul, expression at the two,
then IL was too much for thena, nnd they
walked down the road crying aloud But
the men laughed and drew tho corks out
OF their bottles, saying; "iloW foolish
women are to cry over an old GOVT lIa, hR,
haln-Our Animal Friends.
The fellow who waits for the wagon
] a H. .t,4s...