54 KEEPING ONE COW. 



last fall. I found him feeding his cattle and made known my 

 errand. He said he had no money at present, but was wanting to 

 sell a cow, and as soon as he could would pay me. I asked him 

 which cow he wanted to sell ; he pointed out this one, which was 

 smaller than the others and seemed driven by them. Not a very 

 large cow, he said, but young, with some Jersey blood in her 

 better for a family cow than for a factory cow. I say Earnest, she 

 is just what you need, with your family. But I've no place to put 

 her, said I, and I don't know how to take care of a cow. Non- 

 sense, said he, put her in your stable for the present, and you'll 

 learn how to take care of her fast enough. But what shall I feed 

 her ? Why the money you pay Churchill for milk, with what you 

 can raise on your lot, will keep your cow right along, and instead 

 of one quart a day, you'll have all the milk and cream and butter 

 you want to use, and some to spare, and, Mary, I thought it 

 would'nt break us up if it didn't prove a success, so I took the cow 

 on what he was owing me twenty-five dollars and here she is." 



" Oh, Joseph, I am so glad you bought her, I do believe we can 

 keep her," said Mary, " how gentle she seems," for during the 

 talk the children had been petting the cow, who appeared well 

 pleased with her new acquaintances. The baby partaking of the 

 general animation, crowed with delight, as though already antici- 

 pating the good time coming. 



" She has behaved like a baby coming over here," said Joseph, 

 " and I declare I begin to love her already. I have always wished 

 we could live where we could have animals around us, and per- 

 haps we will some day." Mary said she hoped they could, for 

 she felt lonesome for them. "But what shall we name our 

 cow ? For my part I would like to call her ' Comfort,' and while 

 she contributes to our comfort we will endeavor to do the 

 same for her." Joseph agreed to the name, saying he needed 

 plenty to eat and drink, a good bed and pleasant home, and he be- 

 lieved that animals did too, so he would give her one of his nice 

 roomy stalls in his barn, make her a bed of shavings from the 

 shop until he could do better. " We have pure water for her to 

 drink, with hay and vegetables to eat, and that will keep her alive 

 until we learn what she will thrive on best." As this was a 

 ** broken " day, he thought they had better get neighbor Manning's 

 horse and carry-all, and drive out to father Granger's. He had 

 always been a good farmer and could tell him just how to care 

 for the cow. All were delighted with this plan and were soon 

 enjoying a six-mile drive into the country. 



