Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-16

| thought about it until he forgot all about
| his grief He noticed that as soon as his
| father drank the milk he began to smile
| at the woman. He smiled at the woman,
| but was cross to Johnny.
After supper the woman went out, and
after while Johnny went out, too,
| leaving his father sitting by the fire
smoking his pipe Johnny went to the lot,
| thinking the woman had gone there. He
wanted to see whether she would milk the
cow. He crept alongside of the fence, and
soon he was near enough to peep through
a crack without being seen. He saw the
woman rubbing the cow on the back, while
the calf was getting all the milk.
You see how good I am to you, sis
ter, said the woman. Now I want you
to be good to me. When that boy Jack
to lead him chase. 1 saw him beating
your calf today But see how good I am
to- your calf, sister. I let 1t have all the
milk
THE COW shook her horn and switched
her tail, and Johnny, sitting in the fence
corner wondered what 1t all meant.
u see.' said the cow. after a while.
You want to marry the boys father and
the boy is in the way. But suppose they
find you out. What Them?
Trust me for that. sister, said the
won an; trust me for that
Johnny waited to hear no more, but
crept away and went to bed. He was
dressed and out by sun up next morning,
put the woman was up before him and
had breakfast nearly ready. Johnny
asked her If she had MIXED the cow and
she replied that she had forgotten about
IT. Johnny saw the milk pail sitting on
the shelf. and when he looked at 1t he
Knew the COW had not been MIXED, else
the sides OF the pail would have been
spattered.
But the COW had been turned out, and
the calf was sleeping contentedly In the
fence corner. instead of nibbling the grass.
Johnny drank no milk at breakfast, but
his father did and smiled at the woman
more than ever. During the day Johnny
forgot all about the cow, but when night
came, he knew she must be brought up,
so he went to the pasture after her. She
was not to be found. He hunted over the
hills and fields. and then, not finding her,
began to cry.
Suddenly the lady he had seen the day
before stepped out of the wood and spoke
to him. She held in her hand a. tiny Ian
tern:
lantern.
"'You wouldn't call me, and SO I came
to you
81 forgot" whispered Johnny.
Don't forget any more said the lady.
Take this lantern and run to the whis-
pering poplar that stands on the HILL You'll
find your COW tied there. Drive her home
and don't spare her.
Johnny found the COW tied to the poplar
sure enough and he made her gallop home
as fast as she could. He blew out his tiny
lantern before he got in sight of the house,
but 1t dropped from his hand and he could
find 1t no more. He ceased to hunt for 1t
after q WHILE and drove the cow to the
lot, where the woman was waiting.
"Go get your supper she said to
Johnny.
"'Yes'm,' replied Johnny. but he went
off only to creep back to see what the
woman would do. He could see she was
angry. ~ w..
q nice sister, she exclaimed, to let that
bow bring YOU home early
Don't sister me- moaned the COW.
Tn nearly famished and that boy has
nearly run me off my legs. Somebody that
I couldn't see caught me and tied me to
q tree this morning and there I've been
all day. We'd better go away from here.
That boy will find you out yet
Then Johnny crept away, ate his sup
per and went to bed. He slept late the
next morning, but when he awoke he
found that his father, instead Of being at
work, as was his habit, was smoking his
were smiling at each other very sweetly.
That afternoon Johnny went to bring the
COW home before shutdown. but he couldn't
find her. He hunted and hunted for her
until long after dark and then he went
to the whispering poplar that stands on
the hill, and said:
go, keeper Of cows that roam in the night,
Come over the hills and lend me your
nghtp
INSTANTLY Johnny heard the COW lowing
In the valley, and saw q light glimmeripg
family in the distance. In little while,he
the hill. and the rushing Of some large ami