96 



AROUND AN OLD HOMESTEAD. 



delight. She by degree's drew near with her fair limbs (pro- 

 gressive), making pretense of browsing; nearer and nearer, 

 till there was wafted to us the bovine fragrance, — cream of all 

 the dairies that ever were or ever will be : and then she raised 

 her gentle muzzle towards us, and snuffed an honest recogni- 

 tion within hand's reach. I saw it was possible for his herd 

 to inspire with love the herdsman. She was as delicately 

 featured as a hind. Her hide was mingled white and fawn 

 color, and on her muzzle's tip there was a white spot not 

 bigger than a daisy ; and on her side turned toward me, the 

 map of Asia plain to see. 



"Farewell, dear heifer! Though thou forgettest me, my 

 prayer to heaven shall be that thou mayest not forget thyself. 

 There was a whole bucolic in her snuff. I saw her name was 

 Sumac. And by the kindred spots I knew her mother, more 

 sedate and matronly with full-grown bag, and on her sides 

 was Asia great and small, the plains of Tartary, even to the 

 pole; while on her daughter's was Asia Minor. She was not 

 disposed to wanton with the herdsman. And as I walked she 

 followed me, and took an apple from my hand, and seemed 

 to care more for the hand than the apple. So innocent a face 

 as I have rarely seen on any creature, and I have looked in the 

 face of many heifers. And as she took the apple from my hand 

 I caught the apple of her eye. She smelled as sweet as the 

 clethra blossom. There was no sinister expression. And for 

 horns, though she had them, they were so well disposed in the 

 right place, but neither up nor down, I do not now remember 

 she had any. No horn was held towards me." 



Mr. John Burroughs, too, has written an attractive 

 paper upon the cow, which he has called "Our Rural 

 Divinity," and which is quite bucolic and certainly very 

 enjoyable. 



Besides Trowbridge's well-known "Farm-Yard 



