Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31

ton with which to keep up his Tor herr
end of the conversation, such as I think
not' 1t is possible! and I agree with
mother!' 1t is uncanny to hear how these
tags of talk sometimes fit in. as if the bird
were really thinking; but of course he is
not. Out in the fields the wild ones get
quite accust omed to me, so that when 1
please l can duplicate the act of the famous
bird tanner of the Tuilleries Gardens-hold-
ing crumbs in my hands they will light
on them, my shoulders, on my head
wherever l put crumbs"
when they bring in the cows at night"
l asked, do the starlings ride in on their
backs?" Il had seen this thing in France,
but only one bird on one cow
In Holland cows are not brought home
at night, but are MIXED in the meadows.
One reason is that they would have too
many bitches to cross going and coming.
Another reason is that at home they would
have no room for them. Instead, the young
lady of the family puts a yoke over her
back, from which hangs a bucket each
side; and thus equipped she goes out to
hunt the cow. When She"
"Who?"
1.-THE girl. When she arrives where the
herd is she calls the cows pertaining to
her, not by individual names, because they
seem to have none, but by the generic name
of Bless 'Ho, Blessr the name of every
COW in Holland. We say Boss in Pennsyl-
vania-'Co, Bos.' 1t must be the same
thing, corruption of the Latin Dos for
cow Each knows her voice.
Whose voice."
Prudence and Caution.
1.-THE girl's-and comes to her in due
order, which does not change In the season.
In the highly sophisticated manners of
these cows, SO closely in touch with civili-
zation you will find other examples of a
well-established precedence Nevertheless,
when the girl starts to milk her she begins
by tying her legs together
Whose legs?'
THE cow's-with a rope; because in Hol-
land milk is allowed to be lost through
the nervous Impotence of the hind end of
a neurasthenic COW. Literally, she cannot
kick the bucket, and to keep her from
doing 1t fguratively as long possible
the greatest care is taken of the cows
health. For instance, as soon as the cold
days begin all the cows come out in blank
cts, large ones, fitting them well over their
backs and under their stomachs, tied
around them, back and 'front.'
More than that l interrupted, Il my
self have seen them in Holland In full suits
of clothes-that is to say, what seemed
of bagging with legs to them. 1t was in
summer time; 1 was a little steamer
going up a canal. and 1 saw these dressed
up cows in meadows on the bank.
How many?"
There were only two of them
"They We're sick cows, or they had just
had calves. That is a different matter.
Healthy cows go bare-legged in their blank
cts, whereby is developed a peculiar trait
of character. most painful to the phlosoph
ical mind These blankets, you may well
believe. are kept from year to year. When
the time comes to fit the cows out for the
season certain old and worn blankets must
be replaced by new ones. Now, 1t is OBJ
served that cows who by chance or favorit-
ism get new blankets herd henceforth to-
gether Up to that time, likely enough,
they had not noticed one another. but now
is all changed; they stick together super
ciliously.
Worst Kinds of Snobs.
Dogs are often the worst kind Of snobs,'
1 said, especially in that which touches
the clothes of their masters. Observe how
the dogs of well-to-do folks bark and snarl
at addressed tramps. And horses, every
body knows, rejoice in ornaments so much
that when the Spanish farmer wants to
punish one he takes his gay trappings off
him for few days The horse is miserable
until he gets them back
Yes. yes" replied the gentle artist with
a sigh of resignation; yet 1 confess the
trait pains me in the COW, which seems a
philosophical creature with contemplation
in her eyes. In any case it is ludicrous
enough sight to see them in their blankets.
They are taken to the stables for the win
ter in November
But l thought you said there was not
room enough"
Nor is there in the summer, spring and
autumn, during which time the farm people
use the stables for all kinds of farm work
Besides,' they are stored full of hay. But
when rude winter comes they absolutely
must find place for all the cows in them"
And they stay in all winter"
Yes, all winter, except when the winter
is very mild one. And mild winters are
more frequent in Holland than MANY people
would suppose. Last winter, for example
on my way to Amsterdam to pass the New
Year. l saw cows grazing in the fields I
have picked daisies on January To- Some
times, on the other hand, the farmers
make mistakes. Thus 1 have heard poor
cows bawling for food and because they
were cold when the severe weather came
on prematurely unexpectedly. There was
not enough grass 1t is a dismal sight to
see-and hear.a herd of 800 cows bawling
for their food"
But they do not have to bawl long. do
they?" e' w
They know that when the hour of milk
ing comes the farm people will bring them
potatoes-raW ones-cut in quarters"
Fine Stock Everywhere.
Anything else?'
yes. black bread; but there is never
quite enough to satisfy the poor beasts, who
need more food out In the bleak fields than
they would need in the stables. You may
well believe the farmers do their best 70
make the stables ready for them in as short
a time as possible. When this happens the
outdoor work of the cattle painter ceases
His indoor work is the completion of pic
lures and studies he had made all through
the summer. For, although the cows have
disappeared from the scene, the landscape
remains really more beautiful in color than
In summer. The winter seems to add a rich
ness to 1t. The green has disappeared The
sky seems to be more opalescent, the sun
rises and the sunsets are more vivid and
most exquisite purple tone runs through the
landscape"
suppose that Is one Of the reasons land
scape and cattle painters like to work in
Holland, l said why do you go to Hol-
land?'
Because there we find cows in the fields
night and day and under all kinds of effects
from May until November. Our cows come