The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-29
| TheOnefi OrnedCOw

copyright. 1908, BY T. G. Mcclurel
Deacon Henderson was meek maj
who had married a shrew. Cows trou
bled the deacon's wife. There WA
one COW In particular that the deacon
always treated with the utmost ten
derness and that his wife, per contra
always thirsted to kill on the spot
This was a one horned COW belonging
to the Widow Glenn, In the village. Al
some stage in her COW career some on,
had knocked her right horn OF IN
treating her as trespasser. The dea
cons wife wanted TO MAIN or XIII that
COW because the bovine had but the
one horn and because she belonged Ia
a widow that had once wondered how
the deacon could possibly stand It 10
live with such wife. 1t thus came
about that there were mornings when
the one horned COW came home with a
limp and detected attitude and other
mornings when she came home with
head and tail In the air and believing
that life was worth the living. II all
depended on whether the deacon or his
wife got up FIRST and found her tres.
passing.
The one horned cow had been what
might be called fixture for two years
before the deacon's wife died. The
conduct OF the COW and the deacon's
wife had divided the sentiment OF the
community. There were the COW par
ty and the anti-cow party, and both Of
them were provided with powerful ar
guments to sustain their positions. The
wife was several days In dying. When
she had given directions about all 9TH
er things, even to having the barrel Of
soft soap moved to shady spot, she
said to her husband
"And now, Job, want to talk about
that one horned COW. | hoped to live
long enough to kill her, but Proyi.
dence has ordered otherwise. 70.
and she stays, but want you to prom
ise to make 1t hot for her. Knock OF
her other horn. Break her neck. Spare
her not. Have no further mercy on
her because she is the COW OF wild.
ow. can't die easy unless you prom
Use me. You will probably find her in
the cornfeld the day of my funeral.
Don't mind me, but get out and go for
the COW. Chase her ten times around
the lot and break both her hind legs"
II was against the grain, but the
daaoon xsxfnaA fha %aaro fror, hts oxyaa
and promised, and 1t " due him to say
that for a month after the funeral he
did his best to carry out the promises.
He didn't find the COW trespassing
every morning when he turned out of
bed. She put in some Of her nights
elsewhere. When he did find her he
dubbed and stoned and raised bumps
and Jumps on various parts of her
body. There came a day. however
when he let up on this. The one horn
ed cow looked at him SO mournfully
and reproachfully that he couldn't
throw another rock. She seemed to |
beg and appeal to him to give her a
show, and be simply pulled up tall /
cornstalk by the roots and used 1t as a /
CAD to drive her to the highway. For |
the next two months the one horned
cow lived on the fat of the land and
exulted over other cows with more |
horns. Then Deacon Henderson found I
himself in a quandary between his |
dead wife and the living COW. He had
made certain promises to dying wo-
man. He had failed to break that |
cows neck. Instead of so doing he /
was treating her with all love and
gentleness. This fact began to worry I
the good man. He grew thin over 1t,
and he was yet undecided when the
minister of his church called one aft
ernoon Here was the opportunity to
unburden himself, and it was taken
advantage of. The minister heard him |
through without word and then
said
II am surprised that Sister Hender-
son carried such a feeling to the grave
with her. ! wish you had not prom
Used what you did. and vet It would be
unnatural for you to carry out those
promises. You have probably tried to
break that cows neck?'
"For three or four weeks tried my
best was the answer.
'sYou didn't even succeed In knock
Ing the other horn of !"
s'No. It's there vet"
ssAnd you broke none Of her legsT
ssNot leg"
swell then, you have tried and fall
ed. ri Is not your fault that you have
failed, but you had better stop right
there Something Is owing to cows as
well as to the departed. On the other
hand, the Widow Glenn, knowing that
her one horned COW Is botheration
and a damage to you. has no right to
let her run of large and to be defiant
about 1t. Neither can she reasonably
axnect that you will continue to treat
her animal with the mercy and tender
ness you do"
.'But there ought to be some way
BUT of it, said the deacon.
eyes. there ought. Suppose you were
10 call on the widow and talk things
pver in d friendly way"
..But she might turn me outdoors"
II win see her first think you will
ind her gentle and amiable. Yes. am
.ure you will"
A month later the deacon called. The
me horned COW was discussed from
he tip Of her one horn to the tip OF
Ter ragged tail. but without acrimony-
XIX months after that, as the couple
irove no to the house after a visit to
The preacher's that made them man