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thus easy to rule, may she not be tempted 

 to reign? That were, indeed, intolerable. 

 Better, a hundred times better, see Blossom, 

 for all her sins, usurp the crown the bell. 

 She has at least the merit of strange, high 

 blood. Bell-cow Sook herself owns Devon 

 crosses. Brandy is pure scrub, albeit her 

 milk is the best, the richest, the most plen- 

 tiful, of all that comes to the pail. 



Now from the bars come loud bellowings 

 noise of many hoofs the young cattle in 

 irruption twenty steers and heifers, wild 

 all with this embarrassment of riches. By 

 twos, by threes, they run, prancing, lowing, 

 up to, around, each of the milky mothers, 

 now industriously at graze. What queer 

 noises rise up on all sides cries, bleating, 

 long, faint calling. The younglings lock 

 horns, push, tussle, fall prone to earth, pick 

 themselves up, and rush away after a fresh 

 antagonist. All summer long they have 

 grazed side by side. The old pasture to- 

 day would see them dejectedly peaceful. It 

 must be the sense of enlargement the sud- 

 den freedom of this so long guarded field 

 has gone to the head, and set them lunatic 

 with joy. 



Brandy has spied amid the youngsters 

 her last year's calf a saucy red beauty, 



