St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-01-15
A SOCIABLE COW DROPS IN.

1t was dull day in the Nutmeg State.
So dull, in fact, that the winds had ceased
stirring about much, while the clouds
had knocked off early, and reposed mo-
tionless in a huge, level gray bank that
covered the whole sky. In the prim and
antique hill towns the universal dullness
had reached that condition OF suspended
animation, or still life, which is familiarity
and expressively denominated by viva
cious country maidens, as being poky,
when everybody listlessly hopes that
something will happen, if nothing better
to relieve the oppressive tedium. 1t was
distlctively and superlatively dull in
Rocky Hill, an od-fasioned, old-country
town among the hills, dozen miles from
town, so that Mrs. Charles Gilbert, who
dwells in the West District, having done
up her afternoon household chores,
yawned and dozed in turn over her
needles. There was not sound audible
in the whole house, and nothing stirred
therein except the pendulum Of the
ancient clock, which clucked and wheezed
and gurgled and now and then emitted
strange gasps, which she did not remem-
Der it had ever done before, as if it was
carrying on dismal sort of jollifcation
meeting in solitary executive session.
Mrs Gilbert-she afterward explained
had stood it just about as long as she
could, so she grabbed her knitting work,
flung on shawl, and ran over to Mrs.
Dudley Jones', in the forlorn hope that,
two tongues being better than one, both
together could instl little animation
into the awful dizziness Of Rocky Hill. In
that design and expedient Mrs. Gilbert,
with the active co-operatson of Mrs.
Jones, was surprisingly successful. The
result was that the ladies gossiped and
chatted, in a breezy accompaniment to
the clicking of their needles, until about
nightfall. The call had been much longer
than Mrs. Gilbert had intended. She
hurried home, tormented all the way
with the belated recollection that when
she had run out of the house that after
noon she had left all its doors and some
gifts windows ajar.
Lord o. heaven" she exclaimed, as
she bounded into the temporarily de-
serted homestead, and, somewhat start
led by an odd, sharp, metallic, tick-tack-
ing noise, kept on into the pantry. For,
damned into that narrow, prim, spick
and span, immaculate apartment, the
pride and apple of Mrs. Gilbert's house
wifely eye, there, whisking things COM
posedly, was the Gilbert family cow,
monarch Of all she surveyed-which was
much.
The COW did not appear to be greatly
surprised, either On the contrary, she
was pretty we'll at home, in view of the
brevity of her acquaintance with the
tenement AS Mrs. Gilbert scared in,
arms upstretched, the COW was lazily
Staying few trcf olesome survivors OF
the tall crop Of horsefics, and content
eddy Eliminating. She had already taken
a leisurely and minute account OF the
pantry supplies, and impartially sampled
oil tho rod I,cbac thara knr A,,+
alone the shining jars of milk, evidently
not caring to patronize home industry,
so intimately and exclusively in the
family.
Lord o Heaven" Mrs. Gilbert again
exclaimed, as the COW went on munching
and whsking, occasionally stealing a
glance over her shoulder at her excited
mistress, with peculiar placid and in
curing expression, How in the name
of Providence did you get in here?" but
Mrs Gilbert had already surmsed that.
Notwithstanding; she reckoned the old
cow had just dropped in in order to help
DTSdh up tHS everlasting tSuluul " NOChN
Hill. And how in the name OF Provi.
dence,' she Immediately added, "for that's
the next thing-how in the world are YOU
goin' ter be got out again ?" And, as if
in instant and practical reply to her own
question, the good woman thereupon laid
hand on the cows tail-it was the near
est and handiest thing to take hold Of
and pulled and backed with all her might {;
but the old COW didn't bulge an inch.
But she stopped eating, momentarily,
and gazed at her mistress somewhat re-
proachfully and still more inquirinely.
Mrs. Gilbert dropped its tail finally and
reflected despairingly; the COW thercupon
resumed eating. The predicament was
critical. 1t was wonderfully bounte-
Gus and attractive pasture, Mrs Gilbert S
old-tashoned buttery, but exceedingly
slim and crowded, and the COW just filled
it, so that the housewife realized at once
that by no agency less capable and in.
genious than miracle or an out and-out
phenomenon could the animal be shifted
right. about.face in it. That was sure.
Neither did the COW evince an eagerness
to be shifted, or even periunctorv dis.
position, for that matter, even to enter
tain any sort of shifting project. Evil