River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-06-13

that the business paid.
He purchased 20 hens, and they
went right to business ut once and
scratched out SO worth of dahlia-
bulbs and about a peck Of gladioIas
and all the choice seeds which Mrs.
Perkins had planted with so much
care in her flower beds.
And by and by Perkins thought he
would set a hen. Chickens were such
lovely and interesting creaturesl So
he put - eggs in a box, and caught a
hen and put her on them, and She
pecked the skin off his wrist and
then flew into his face and broke FIVE
Of the eggs and screeched bloody mur-
der and exhibited signs Of total de-
pravity of temper, and finally flew
through the wood shed window into
the top of the horsechestnut tree.
where she sat all day, and would nos
be poked out with fishing pole or
stoned out by number of stones
hurled in her direction. And Mr.. Per-
kins told his wife that probably the
reason she would not ''set" was that
de man who sold her to him had
be2n cheat and sod hens that had
never been taught TO set"
Perkins next venture was COW.
"a gentle creature and a mixer ami
pet for women and children" said
the mild-mannered old man of whom
on hero purchased her.
So when Perkins got her home, Mrs.
Perkins and the hired girl and the
two boys and The baby ali came out
to see her.
Wen have bread and milk for sup
per-" said Mrs. Perkins. 'It'll be so
nice to know Just what we're eating.
No filthy adulteration. declare, |
am quite in love with her already.
She has beautiful eyes and such hand
some antlers."
Them is horns, ma'am," said Biddy,
the hired girl, "and foine ones, too!
And faith, l never seen any finer in
this country"
Can you milk her?" asked Mrs.
Perkins, addressing her husband a lit
tie doubtfulIy.
Milk her? Of course I can" said
Mr.. Perkins. Here are the directions
in this book on dairying." And, pull
ing book from his pocket he began
TO read: Always be gentle with a
COW. Never speak loud or cross. She
viii yield her milk more readily if
the mixer sings or whistles while per-
forming the operation of milking. Sit
well forward and keep the pail just in
front of the hind legs. If the animal
whisks her tail so as to be trouble
some, tie it to the leg There, Anna,
what can be easier than that? You
car hum some soothing tune, will
whistle, and we shall succeed as well
as if we had been born farmers"
Perkins placed himself in a position
on an inverted fecd-box and started UP
his whistling, and Mrs. Perkins began
to hum. The hired girl stood with her
hands on her hips, and the two young
members of the Perkins family looked
on with eager delight.
The cow looked surprised. She
stopped chewing her cud and turned
out the whites of her eyes, as she
glanced ap3rehensiyely behind her.
She fetched her tail a vicious switch
and knocked the glasses out of Per-
kin's spectacles and filled his eyes
with strong-smelling dust.
y must tie her TAIL" said he, after
he had got his eyesight rubbed back
again. THAT is what the book says.
Strange l did not do that at first"
So Mr.. Perkins proceeded to tie it.
The COW evidently did not relish this
method of being anchored to herself,
and lifted her foot and sent the milk
pail spinning across the yard, and the
half-pint of milk that was in it spat-
tered over the front of Mrs. Perkins
brown silk dress.
"Oh, the burning shame!" cried
Bridget "All that illigant milk vast.
ed"
There is enough more" said Mr.
Perkins, "but the cow does not like
having her tan tied to her own leg,
Let me see; is it possible l have mis-
understood the meaning of the author
OF this hook? ! must have. 1t reads
thus; Tie the tail to the leg 1t must
mean to the leg of the mixer. Of
course that is what it means! How
strpid of me not to understand. Bird
get, you bring me piece of line and
III fix her"
Bridget brought the line and Per-
llins took twist with it around the
animals tail and secured it to his own
leg.
Now she's all right" said he.
anna, you may sing a little, guess.
Something soft and soothing, to show
her that we are her friends"
As he spoke he put his leg forward
to sit down. and the motion frightened
the line on the animals tail. She
gave leap forward and upward, vent
ed loud and angry roar and over the
wall she went, and strealed it through
the back yard with Perkins in her
wake like the tender to a locomotive.
"Tarnation!" yelled Perkins, fran
tioallv.
This wild exclamation was wrung
from him by the cows dashing against
one of the beehives.
Bya mighty effort Perkins wrenched
his leg free, and the cow. thus set at
! Hbarfu 1novoJ 81 F,r.o