St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-09-20
For tI,c CHILDREN,
THE BULL AND THE BEES.

Nanny Miller hardly knew whether to
call herself country girl or town girl.
Her home was in Montreal but she
was accustomed to spend all the long
summer mad autumn in New Hampshire,
at her Grandfather Miller's big farm.
She felt herself well initiated country
girl in every respect but one-in spite of
all argument she remained desperately
afraid of the COWS. Remembering her
fifteen years, she was much ashamed Of
this weakness. Nevertheless she contin-
ued to tremble at the sight OF the gent
lest OF mixers, and to keep as close as
possible to the fence whenever she had
occasion to go through the cattle pas
ture.
Mamie had some shadow of an ex-
cuse for her dread of strange cattle at
least On a neghboring farm there was
Jersey Bull famous for its viciousness
and temper. The children of the village
spoke with bated breath Of Farmer Hop
kins bull, and Mamie had heard grim
tales of its ferocity. The animal was
particularly fine specimen of his breed
and registered in the American Herd
Book" But for his arstocratic pedigree
and his admirable points he would have
found his way to the butcher.
The Miller farmhouse stood about six
ty yards back from the highway. The
broad slope leading up from the road to
the house was occupied by an old fash
toned garden, with cIumps of shrubs, hol-
lyhocks and larkspur, thickets of arti-
choke and sunhower, blue green cabbage
patch and yellow-green carrot patch,
and dense rows of beans and peas.
Down through the middle of the garden
ran path bordered with narrow flower
beds, wherein grew sweet-william and
scarlet lychnis, and peoples and bach
elor's buttons. At the foot of the path
a slight, white gate led out to the road,
through hedge Of thorn and liacs. At
one side an array of bee-hives faced the
path. Behind the hives ran several lines
of tall peas, then black-currant bushes,
and then generous tangle of raspberry
canes. The driveway leading to the
tarmyard and the hospitable door, lay
to one side, and beyond the garden fence.
One Sunny afternoon, when her grand
mother had lain down for a sleep and her
grandfather was away in the back lots,
Mamie found the house too quiet for her
and started off to the village to mail a
letter. She descended the garden path,
passed through the little white gate, and
paused moment in the middle of the
road. She felt sudden tremor of ap-
prehension, and came near turning back
But she could see no cause Tor fear
Laughing at her own nervousness she sci
forward briskly, carrying sunshade o
crimson silk through which the light
streamed like liquid rubies.
She had not gone fifty PAGES before sh'
heard a sound at which her heart stood
still. Just in front of her was a turn o
the road, and grove shut off the view
of what lay beyond. But the sound SHE
heard was the mumbling below ant
grunt of an angry bull. She swung ant
sped like bird for the little white gate
A moment later the black and white
form of Farmer Hopkinss bull cam,
trotting around the turn, his nose in thu
air his head going from side to side
Mamie saw the dread apparition over he
shoulder and fled as il her feet had wings
At the same instant the bull caugh
sight of her. His horns went down, anC
with a broken roar he charged like ;
whirlwind in pursuit.
Swift as was Mamie, the bull wa
much swifter. Providentially, in tn
midst of her flight Mamie thought o
HGI pdIdSOl, W NllSil sue was ShhSihS
convusvelv. As she released her hole
of he handle the glowing silk scared hk
parachute, then swooped down to TIN
middle of the road under the bulls very
nose. He paused to rend it and grind i
to the dust. As Mamie sliced the latch
of the white gate she gave one glance be
hind her. The bull had just completed
the destruction of the parasol and wa
again laundering upon her heels.
As she dashed through, Mamie slammed
the gate behind her. but it did not latch
1t swung a little way open. Not daring
to go back and tasten it, and knowing
that she would not have time to reacl
the house, she fled aside, darling behlnt
the beehives and peas, rushing down be
tween the rows of currant bushes. us
as the bull, having wrenched the lttl
gate from its hinges and tossed
it contemptuously over his shoulder
plunged into the garden, Mamie trippet
on her skirt and fell headlong between
the bushes.
The fall saved her. The bull woulc
certainly have caught sight of her flying
e.. II. l.. Il Il.