The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-06-23

10 81 Nicholas Mslor J, B Pond, Oh
veil knosu manager, tells 8 hit Of snlob
osrsphy entitled Ny Fln, Gua." Mao
Pond save
A good many Years sso | ass smal
boy living 90 the farm Of my isther, Whf
wtstern pioneer, 10 the state a Wa
conNo. When | VAS about II years cid.
| vss bited by prigbbor 10 work 1t q
Job OF pioWlug. and Tor 1t ! Vas to receive
81 10 money and pair OF geese. The
oIeo which | vas 30 have charge Of were
I Jear.oll steers snd Mr.. MeLhury, my
employer, thought great deal OF them.
Mr. McLaury worked u making lis gar
den while managed the oxen and plosed
ten acre lot. l Was instructed not 10
whip the oxen but TO sllow them their
own sst. aud this they soon found oul
and il made my journeys behind the rlow
very easy. At night the animals were left
10 the stable, and We always fed them
carefully and sroomed them as II they had
been horses. 10 one end OF the stable
there was q bin OF barley,
My instructions were to see that the
cattle we're securely tied in their stalls at
night. aud was to give each one OF them
two quarts OF barley aud plenty OF hay.
Oae morning found one Of them had
slipped the halter during the night aud
was comfortably lying near the barley
bin. put him back 10 bis stall and
gave them both TIER ususI r.II0ns,
When II was time to yoke up for the
day, Mr. McLauty came with me to the
stable, ss ! was not large enough to pul
tie yoke 90 the oxen. He noticed that
one Of the steers had not eaten the barley
10 bis feed box and suggested that perhaps
he was not feeling well. 80 he told me
to drive slowly. and il the OF showed
symptoms Of illness to let him know.
On the way to the field we had TO cross
creek, where | was accustomed to stop |
aud let the team of oxen drink all the
water that they wanted, | noticed that
this OF hurried and almost pulled hls
mate into the creek in bis eagerness to
drink, and could hardly whip him away
from the water after be had been drink
ing With oil his might for at lea.t 10
minutes.
Finally got him across the creek and
started TO plow, and then | noticed that
the OF was beginning to swell until be was
more than double his normal girth, and
presently be crowded bis mate out OF the
iurrow, and Mr.. McLaury saw it aud
came running into the field, ! was fright
ened and was almost inclined TO "out' for
home, for | knew tben that the OK must
have been fessting at the barley bin and
that had done wrong in not telling MIR.
OF my suspicious when | found
The snsmal free from its halter 10 the
morning. | knew very well how much
Mr.. McL,ury loved the first aud only
cam of oxen he had ever had.
He asked me Immediately II the OK WAS
oose in the barn when | went out 10 the
morning. | said yes. expecting 10 be
knocked down. for he seemed to be q
luiok tempered man. Bat he was very
gentle and spoke kindly to me, saying
My boy, you should have told me he
vas loose. Then ! could have kept him
way from the water and might have say
d him. Now my beautiful steer is lost {
My heart was broken. | believe ! /
would have given my life to save that OK,
'ut be died right there, aud we took bis
nate home aud turned him out to gr,zs. t
was set to cbopping wood, and my |
mployer and his wife went away for the y
fternoon Soon all the neighborhood
new that Mr. McLiury's Oh was dead, 8
nd felt as though they oil thought that il
was the cause Of it.