The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-05-06

YOU KNOW HOW 1 STAND ON RELIGION"
her husband had been dead a year. She
lived in the same quiet routine and had
hired man to see to the farm. Uncle
Jerry was uneasy right along, but
stuck to his text and contented himself
with sending Hannah over occasional
ly to ask if everything was going right
One afternoon, much to his own sur
prise he found himself over the line
fence between the two farms, and, the
Rubicon having been passed, he kept
on until he had reached the house and
found the widow drying apples in the
sun
you know how stand on religion,
Martha" he said, with the freedom
of neighbor, but mebbe it don't
allus apply to widders Anyhow Pm
kind of feelin' as if it was my duty to
see that the hog holes in the fences
was stopped up and that your cows
didn't git the boiler horn for lack of
salt twice week. Is your hired man
the right sort?'
81 haven't got any," replied the wild
ow. "He got sick two weeks ago, and
| have only a boy to look after things.
| don't want you to risk your souls
salvation, though"
81 shouldn't want to, of course, but
I'm willin' to take few chances for
your sake. You was allus set down as
a Baptist, but don't believe you are
real hard shell. I've sometimes
thought that if you married again. and
married Methodist, you'd come into
the fold after awhile"
But we won't talk religion she
said, turning away to hide her smiles
and bushes
mo, we won't. Hannah was tellin'
me that you had a new cow"
yes"
And she's kicker?"
"She is a bad one, and the boy won't
go near her, and | fear for my life
every time go out to milk"
"Shoo! Is that so? WAL. Wen sort
of forget religion for awhile. and I'll
take that COW in hand. | amt afraid
of no kickin' COW on earth I'll kind
of tell the boy what to do about the
Ups and see that the cattle don't get
into the corn, and twice a day I'll come
over and milk that kicker Better leave
the pail hangin' on the barnyard gate
in the mornin', as I'm an early riser"
you are too good, Uncle Jerry" she
murmured.
That's on account of my Methodist
religion" he answered rather proudly.
1T allus affects a person that way II
he's in earnest about it. while the Bap-
fist belief But never mind. I'll show
that COW a trick or two if she lifts her
leg at me-"
Night and morning for the next three
months Uncle Jerry MIXED that kick
ing COW as punctually as the sun rose
and set At long intervals, when the
COW happened to be mentally busy on
other subjects, he got through peace
ably. but on fourteen occasions out Of
fifteen she raised a row and generally
got the best of it. He might have
grown discouraged and advised her
slaughter or SALE but he had come to
look upon it as case of Methodist
versus Baptist, and he was determined
that the Baptist should knock under.
Then came day when his religious
zeal carried him beyond due bounds in
speaking to the Widow Shields, and
| she resented it by saying that he
needn't trouble himself further. That
angered him In turn. and he went
home to say to his daughter:
"HanDer v0l noadu't mind ahouf
the wilder any more. She's like all
them Baptists, and l hope that old
COW will kick her clear across the
barnyard the first time she tries to
milk
He went to bed trying to make him
self believe that it was a case of in
gratitude, and he vowed he would
never climb the line fence again, but
his sleep was broken with bad dreams.