The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-23


go somewhere in the country in the
summer, and l never paid less than
seven dollars week for board in my
life. intend to pay you as much as
that, | assure you. Four dollars a
week." she said scornfully. SIT is
very evident, my dear Martha, you are
taking your first boarder."
Martha sat up straight in her rock
ng-chair; her eyes shone like diamonds,
and there was faint red in her faded
cheek.
elf you stay till September and pay
me 81 ven dollars week." she said ex
citedly, "Ill have me cow. l can
keep her as well as not, II can only
get her in the first place. I've got
pasture, and l can raise lot of pump
kins and fodder corn. l know how to
milk. | can make butter. Why, l can
most live on her milk" and she burst
into flood of tears, and bid her face in
her bands.
1t seemed as if The poor woman could
not talk enough about her COW, and her
gratitude to the lady who had proved
from the fin st such godsend to her.
| shall have something to love after
you are gone" she said one day. 81
got me cat after mother died; she
was real pretty, and thought so much
of her. She used to sleep on the foot
of NY bed, and did not feel half 80
lonesC me nights, if l could not sleep;
for if spoke to her, she would purr,
and come up and rub herself against
me. ! thought there never was such
cat; but James boys, they used to stone
her whenever she went over on their
side, and one day she came dragging
herself home with broken leg, al d her
head was hunt, too. She died before
night, and buried her under the lay
lock there. And / missed her 20, | got
ne another; but that enc was missing
within week, and one of the boys kept
asking me what bad become Of my cat,
and laughing in hateful way. So |
MT de up my mind l could not have any
more pets.
"But they won't dare to hurt COW,
they ere too valuable; and could
have tie law On them if they did," she
added erimly. cal ybody can do what
ey have mind to 10 cats, poor
things for Martha bad never heard
of the "society with the long name.'
Let me see," said Marcia, what
kind of cow viii you get-Jersey"
81 shall get red and white one"
said Martha. "Father used to keep a
COW, and that was speckled red and
white. / mean to get ne just like her.
if l can. What will James folks say
/ guess they'll think it will be some
time before they'll have my house for a
parlor."
alt beats ALL" said she, one day,
show little things trouble folks. Now,
any great trial, like death and such,
you can carry to the Lord, ard he will
help you bear it; but any body feels so
mean to trouble him about the little
tbipgs.
"Now, there was mothers gold
beads. She always told me | ST ould
have them after her. Many time I've
put them on my neck when l YVES a
little girl, and wished mother would
give them to me then; but she wou Id
take tb' NJ, and say she uld have them
some time.
"And when he died l was almost
crazy, and james wife, SIZE had to see
to every thing.
1t was few weeks afterwards,
ard l saw n other's beads on Maria's
petk-ihat is her Oldest girl. l fel,
dreadfully. l went out to The barn and
talked to James about it. He said
Maria wanted them as rad IS did, and
he didn't know if she would give The m
up. His wife made fuss about it, and
80 did not have them.
"But it was trial. l never had a
piece of jewelry in my life but a cor.
lie ian ring. l have got that now, but
l have outgrown it,"
Now, Martha had a birthday that
week; and James wife was astonished,
IS she was getting breakfast one morn
ing, by seeing her sisters toarder COM
ing in. She had in her hand beauti-
full gold chain. There was lccket at
tached, and the rhinestone in it spark.
led like diamond in the morning sun.
"Mrs. Bascom," said the lady, 81
want to make bargain with you. l
want you to exchange your daughters
gold beads for this chain; it is fully
as valuable, and pretier for her.
"You know it is Miss Marba's
birthday o.day, and l went TO give bel
a present. know there is nothing che
will prize like Der mothers gold beads. .
Both mother and child were de-
lighted with the chain.
81 have always felt mean about
those BEADS" said Mrs. Bascom, "but
the girl wanted them so; and Pm rea
glad to change. Here, let me briehten
them up bit," and she buried
around after piece of flannel ant
some whiting.
And so it happened, just after break
fast, IS Martha was getting up from
the table, Marcia Ames' white hands
went lovingly around her neck, ant
clasped there the precious beads.
The autumn came all too soon, and
TIE friends parted until next summer
Marcia said.
A gentle red and white COW stood by
the bars in Martha's pasture, ard il
was on her glossy neck that Martha lefI
the tears she shed when the stage that
bore her friend away went ont of sight
For Marcia had insisted on the COW
being reality before she went away
and had named her at Martha's re.
uuast Sultana waa tha atber biob.