34 FIVE ACRES TOO MUCH. 



might be left in the yard, somewhat regardless, to be 

 sure, of their fragile nature ; she would carry them 

 on her head round about, and occasionally pin them 

 to the earth with a thrust of her horns ; and if she 

 found the stable, which was of wood, close and un 

 comfortable, she now and then walked out of it 

 through the side, but did these things in so uncon 

 scious a way that no one could find fault. 



She kept on growing fat and fatter (to continue 

 her history and somewhat anticipate events) until 

 summer came, and it was necessary to send her to 

 the country. Then the services of another Irishman, 

 of course, were called into requisition, and he started 

 off from the house with her, early one morning in 

 June, to lead her eight miles to her future home at 

 Flushing. Neither himself nor the cow was heard 

 of again till late that night, when, with startled coun 

 tenance, he related his adventures to my friend Wee- 

 ville. He had hardly turned the corner before a 

 butcher rushed out and announced that he wanted 

 to buy that cow. Patrick indignantly refused, true 

 to the aristocratic Irish idea that the employer is 

 always above disposing of any thing; but the butch 

 er was irrepressible, and, pulling out his wallet, of 

 fered ninety-five dollars for her ; but Pat retorted, 

 &quot; You ll not get the likes of her for ninety-five dol- 



