The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-02-06
THE LITTLE DAIRY.
ny CATHERINE ROGERS.

when katharine was Tiny DdDy grdnu'
papa had two nice mooley cows. There was
much more milk, Of course, than we could
drink, even with Katharine's assistance.
She did the best she could to help u.s. So
grandpa said that the best way to use the
milk was to make butter.
81 like fresh butter much better, anyway,
than the sailed kind we buy" said grand
papa.
'But we can't make butter" said deal
grandmamma; we've no dairymaid and no
dairy"
20, I'll see to that" said grandpapa.
Grandmamma only laughed She did not be-
heve he really meant to do anything.
But the very next day came two men
with spades and picks, and began to dig
near the spring.
"What are they doing?" asked grand
mamma.
"Wait and see" said grandpapa.
BY and by came two men and two loads
of lumber, and the first thing grandmamma
knew, she looked out of her window early
one morning and there was dear little
house, with door and window and
sloping roof and ventlator just like
chimney
''My graciousl" said grandmamma.
breakfast and see the dairy" asked grand
papa
Well, it was the tiniest, prettiest little
dairy anyone ever say. 1t was built with
double walls, so that the hot sun couldn't
get in, and it had a cemented floor to keep
out the dampness. All along one side was
trough of cement, through which the cold
spring water ran, and on the other side was
big table, which could be hooked UP
against the wall, when not in use.
And there was a dear little wooden churn,
and pals and pans and wooden tray and
ladle.
eyes" said grandmamma, at is all very
nice, but where is your dairymaid?"
"Here she is" said grandpapa holding
open the door-and who should come in but
Cousin Celia, who was little girl herself
then, only II years old. She had on one
of Marthas caps, and her sleeves were
rolled up almost to her shoulders.
"Gracious!" said grandmamma again.
Well, all that summer grandpapa and
Cousin Cecil made the butter, with Celia
to help. They poured the milk morning
and night into shallow pans, and left them
In the cool spring water until the beautiful
yellow cream rose to the top. Then Celia
SKINNED it off and put it in the churn-
and when there was enough cream in the
churn they all took turns churning it until
the butter came Often, when the weather
was warm, it took long time.
When cold weather came we all went
away to the city, as usual, and the dairy
was closed. The two mooley cows and the
horses and dogs and cats were left for John
and Thomas to care for.
Grandpapa and Celia talked often during
the winter of the good times they had had
making butter and planned all sorts of i'm.
provements in the dairy for the following
summer.
Just think how dreadfully they felt when
they returned to Holiday house in May,
and John told them that the older mooley
cow had died, and there was just enough
milk for the house without leaving any for
butter making. Celia cried and grandpapa
looked very much disappointed for awhile.
and then he said:
'Never mind! l think we can afford 20
buy another COW. III see about it."
~ wish you wouldn't" said grand
mamma. Butter making is so much trou
ble"
Trouble" said grandpapa; "no trou
BILE at ALL"
ct don't mind getting little tired" said
"Ask Celia" said grandmamma. "You
had the fun of making butter, but Celia had
the hard work. She had to carry the mill
away down to the dairy, and carry the
churn and the pals and pans to and from
the house to be washed and scalded, and
scrub the dairy and do all the other thing
that you and grandpapa could not do Of
forgot. You'll have to get special working
maid, as well as another COW, if you MAKE
butter this year, for Celia has all she car
well do in the laundry"
And so they talked 1t over, and deoidet
to leave the dairy locked up and buy ordi
nary sailed butter, and after awhile Ceci
and grandpapa found other things to occup,
and amuse them, and forgot all about thsi
disappointment.
That all happened six years ago. Nov
Cousin Cecil is almost grown up, ant
Katharine is no longer tiny baby, bu
big girl seven years old, with three from
teeth out and another one loose.
When we all came to Holiday house thi
summer, Katharine and her little brothe
Rorer each took one of dear grandpapa'
hands and walked all over the place. The
went down past the spring house, and no
ticed how much water was in the spring
and how the honeysuckles had grown.
whats that other little house, with tn
woodbine climbing all around the wiz
dow" asked Katharine.
"That used to be the dairy" said grand
"What's dairy?" asked Katharine.
So grandpa told them all about it.
"Why don't you make butter there now?
asked Roger, when he had finished.
ut is so far from the house that it is to
much trouble to fetch and carry ever.
thingl" grandpapa answered, "and we,
only one COW, you know"
Let's see the little house" said both Il
children.
So grandpapa found the key and cpene
the door.
what a dear little house!" exclaimt
Katharine. 81 wish we might have it f
playhouse"
''Why, SO you mayl" said grandpapa.
"Good-by" said both together, and tn
ran of, clapping their hands for joy, to h
Oatrina, their nurse.
Well, they swept down all the cobwe
and opened the window, and swept al
washed the floor. Next they hung turk
red curtains at the window, and put a +