Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-15
FARM CHORES AI20 sst0W.

All afternoon and far into the night
the mir had been full of falling snow
driven before a brisk wind. In the
! night the snow had ceased, the wind
had zone down, after it had swept the
| sky clear and out Of 1t snapped the
| stars thru the clear, keen air. The
| mercury had shrunk far down in its
tube.
| Day was breaking. Far in the south
east the January sun came up to ligrt
new day and new world. Anne
thyst and rose tints that merged SKY
with earth at the horizon faded to
blue Outdoors the world cracked and
snapped with the cold.
over a changed. clean world COW
cred with deep fluffy snow the sun
shone on a spotless outdoors OF pur-
est. dazzling white. About the foun-
dations Of buildings drifts had formed
To the windward of the trees, the wind
had eddied away the snow to pile it
! in little marble heaps at the base of the
leeward side. Every roof was matched
in white. wind rounded and smoothed
over ridge board and caves. The WOW
en- wire fence had become a white tin
seled loose woven fabric over night.
The wind mill, stark and bare, thrust
it's cold metallic skeleton toward the
sky, protesting with creaking bearings
against the piercing cold.
The barn yard spread coldly white,
Immediately clean and smooth from
dooryard to farthest building, the
snow trimmed fences sharply marking
off its boundaries. Old paths. wheel
marks and b,emihes in the earlier
snow had been blotted out. No NOV
ing thing was visible out Of doors. In
side the barn. hog and cattle sheds
the stock, we'll fed and fat, stirred in
anticipation Of the morning meal.
From an outbuilding black hen
flew noisily from her perch to flop
| thigh deep in the fluffy white. Daint-
lily, stepping high, but laboriously. she
voyaged toward the wagon shed.
sooty black spot on snow-White
sheet. She marked her course with
| wallowing groove, often stopping 10
gain breath for her next five yards,
Paths, half knee deep, were broken 10
the barn, windmill, granary, hog
house, cattle barn and chicken houses.
| While yet darkness held, hungry
| cotton tail had sailed forth to find
food under the wagon in the shed
which held the steers ration Of ground
| corn. His trail was blurred by the
depth TO which he had sunk with each
plunge. A mouse who had dared forth
| from under the hog house had left the
| delicate tracery OF his inquisltive quest
to the manure pile. A sparrow had
sprung to wing from the pile and left
the imprint Of his initial wing thrust.
each feather tip clearly defined in the
matrix Of snow.
Belly to back, crowded close for
| warmth, the hogs gave off a steamy
heat in the dimly lighted shed. They
greeted the banging Of the door WITH
expectant grunts, but were 10th to
stir. A horse nickered when the opened
barn door sent a shaft Of light along
! the managers. A grey and white cal
arose. stretched fore and hind legs
claws gripping its strawy nest as he
prepared to jump down from his COZ.
hole in the bank Of warm hay, mind.
full not to be late when the first clat-
ter Of pals gave promise Of his frothy
share OF the milking.
| A steer thrust a white face from the
door Of the cattle barn at the first
crsak Of wagon wheels bearing the
morning feed. A red brood SOW came
grunting by him to be first under the
feed troughs. Others followed, ther
the whole company Of steers and hogs
trooped out into the snow as the driv-
er's whoa" gave pause to open the
gate.
The hen houses thrown open, white
cock mounted the threshold, as tho tc
survey the glistening prospect for his
flock, craned his neck in all directions
but did not venture forth.
Plumes OF smoke waited from Chin
neys. The household was astir. with
promise Of breakfast soon. Chores were
hurried th-u, care being taken &c avoid
touch Of warm flesh to metal that held
like q magnet. The breakfast sigma
appeared in the window. Chores II
hand were finished, with others left tt
do after the meal, and all trooped hun
srily to the house. Breakfast, egg,
searched from rapidly freezing nest.
the afternoon before to save them, ba.
con, cakes, syrup and coffee. Can 70!
beat It for an appetizer; an hour OF