THE CALF 161 



"Well, no," I replied doubtfully, "but I want 

 her dry." 



"Don't milk her to-morrow," said Daniel. 



So the next morning I omitted to milk her, 

 and before noon my wife was in tears, three small 

 children in the neighborhood had convulsions, 

 and five complaints were entered to the proper 

 authorities that I was maintaining a nuisance in 

 keeping a bellowing cow. 



So at noon I milked her and got a quart. Then 

 I went to Daniel again. 



"Don't feed her," said Daniel. 



So that noon I didn't fill the manger, but tied 

 her under an open shed. Before night, several 

 old ladies in the neighborhood were taken with 

 nervous prostration, and I was served with a 

 quo warranto, a mandamus, a ne exeat regno, a 

 notice of a hearing on a petition for an injunc- 

 tion, a libel for divorce, and arrested on a warrant 

 on a complaint charging me with conspiracy to 

 make a tumult,in the compact part of the village. 



As the last-mentioned instrument was returna- 

 ble before my own court, I did not worry about it, 

 but hastily fed the querulous and bellowing ani- 

 mal, and returned to my office where I drew up 

 as an answer to the other actions : " Necessarium 

 est quod non potest aliter se habere." This 

 calmed my mind somewhat. I had at least got 

 some cases on the docket to defend. 



