The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-06-06
I AND TIE COW AND rArHER.
By KATHARINE AMEs.

AACA uanC was 4<AAy, oh%i SnS Wao q
white cow. That is, she was born
white, but being a COW, she had the
careless sleeping habits of her kind,
which resulted in grass stains here
and there upon her hide, and patches
of baked mud.
Ny father had lately acquired her
in the place of a debt that had SEEM
ed dubious.
F She was an abnormally constructed
COW, with what Artemus Ward would
have called long "style of architec-
ture." Long legs, long horns, and a
tail SO long that If it had not been for
peculiar bend next the body, the
brush end would have swept the
ground.
Now, you want to beware, always
there are no exceptions to this rule
of a COW with a bent poker attach
ment connecting her tail with her
body, particularly if she wears the
rest of its length hanging straight
down. You may be sure that is the
only straight thing in her makeup.
If you have occasion to milk her, don't
forget this.
Not that Lily held her tail aggres-
syfyS lsg VI whIig IHjgT 1sIhsEe
half shut, and long horns absurdly
wide apart, gave her an apologize,
almost an appealing expression, which
was altogether misleading.
"Now, I had to milk her, and ex-
perience had taught me that if ever a
cow was born with an evil spirit that
COW was Lily. 1 could tell by the
hang of her tail when she meant mis-
chief. If it hung straight and limp
from the bend, / took care to perch
myself on the stool with view to
sudden changes of position. True,
my premonitions. though always to
be depended upon for the climax,
never taught me when to expect it.
T It was clear that Lily had a scheme
of her own on which she relied with
perfect confidence, for my undoing.
/ tried to figure it out on some sys-
tenn as astronomical mathematics, re-
currence of comets, or the like, but
while was puzzling with calcula-
tions she generally announced hers
by casually putting her foot in the
foaming bucket and giving me a
binding switch in the eyes with that
diabolical tail. She always contrived,
too, to get the brush end in the milk,
somehow, before she tapped it over
me, knocking my cap off my head
and me off the stool into the milk she
had tipped over.
l was not allowed to punish her.
Ny father was at the head of the
Humane Society in -. No "cruel-
ty to animals" allowed on his prem
iseS
In Justice to him must own that
he gave me plenty of time to twin"
Lily by gentle treatment, and the
lost milk, so far, had brought moth
ing but remonstrances, more or less
lively, according to his mood. But
he was beginning to prophesy con-
cerning events that might be expected
| to take place in the near future, if
didn't come to better understanding
| with the COW. This disheartened me,
because saw no way of promoting
such an understanding. How Is 9
boy going to comprehend "pure Gus
sedness" from a cows point of view
And knew this was what allied her
instead of "flies" and "coincidences,
as my father declared.
One evening carried out my buckle
and stepped up alongside of the ole
sinner. I was feeling pretty good
for I'd just been trading jack-knive'
with one of the fellows, and had thu
best end of the bargain warming my
pocket. Naturally I was disposed t.
think the best could, even of Lily
and she looked meek enough to have
fooled Solomon himself. Anyway
she fooled me and rather threw mt
off nv guard. Not that I ever gain
ed anything by being on my guard
except certain self-respect.
Well, l adjusted myself to the stoo
and began my task with half a though
in the pocket beside the new knife
the remaining half on the COW.
had nearly filled my bucket with no
the slightest sign of opposition from
my tormenter, when suddenly she Sc
her great hoof in the milk and CAV
me a vicious switch with her tail
Over went, and all that warm del
uge flowed over mel
Furious is an Arctic word whe
you are really in need of somethin
uncommonly hot. But the Englis
language is poor In words calculate
to express boys feelings In a tim
like this. jumped up and grabbe
/ A. L. 81 &os1Oa rs1ffa ri