Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-03-17
The One HOrnedCow'
[Copyright. 1gos. by 7. c. mcclure.


Deacon Henderson was meek man
who had married shrew. Cows trou-
bled the deaeon's wife. There was
we 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 one horned COW belonging
to the Widow Glenn, in the village At
some stage in her COW career some one
had Knocked her right horn off in
treating her as trespasser. The dea-
cons wife wanted to main or kill that
COW because the bovine had but the
one horn and because she belonged to
widow that had once wondered how
the deacon could possibly stand it to
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. 1t all
depended on whether the deacon or his
wife got up nrst 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 deacou'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
o. things. even to having the barrel Of
soft soap moved to a shady spot, she
said to her husband:
"And now. Job. want to talk about
that one horned COW, l hoped to live
long enough to kill her.. but Provi-
dence has ordered otherwise. go,
and she stays. but I want you to prom
Use 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. l can't die easy unless you prom
ise me. You will probably find her in
the cornfield the day Of my funeral.
Don't mind me. but get out and 60 for
the COW. Chase her ten times around
the lot and break both her hind legs"
1t was against the grain, but the
deacon wiped the tears from his eyes
and promiMed, and 1t Is 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 day. however.
when he lot up on this. The one horn
ed COW looked at him so mournfuily
and reproachfully that he couldn't
throw another rock. She seemed to
beg and appeal to him to give her q
show. and he simply pulled up tail
cornstaIk by the roots and used II 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 ever other cows with more
horns. Then Deacon Henderson found
himself ii 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 mech Instead Of so doing he
was treating her with all lovo and
sentleness. This fact began to worry
the good u.an. He grew thin over It,
and he wss yet undecided when the
minister cf his church called one att
ernoon. Etere was the opportunity to
unburden himself, and 1t was taken
advantage nf. The minister heard him
through without a word and then
said
81 am surprised that Sister Hender-
son carried such feeling to the grave
with her. l wish you had not prom
Used what you did. and yet it would he
unnatural Cor you to carry out those
promises You have probably tried to
break that Sow's neck?"
"For three or four weeks tried my
best" was the answer.
"You didn't even succeed In knock
Ing the other horn OFF,"
mo It's there yet"
"And you broke none OF her legsT
mot leg"
"Well, then, you have tried and fall
ed. 1t is not your fault that you have
failed. bus you had better stop right
there. Something is owing to cows ss
well as to the departed. On the other
hand. the Widow Glenn. knowing that
her one bo-ned COW is botheration
md a daraage to you. has no right to
| let her ruo at large and to be defiant
about 1t. Neither can she reasonably
expect this. you will continue to treat
her animal with the mercy and tender
ness you TO-"
But ths-e ought to be some way
| Dut of it," said the deacon.
"Yes. thore ought. Suppose you were
10 call on the widow and talk things
| .ver in q frtendly Way"