48 
KANSAS. 
tin pail, and a large square place cut in the cover for the dasher. 
She churned, and her husband churned, until they were both weary, 
and of the opinion that country life has its cares as well as pleas¬ 
ures. A new thought came to the gentleman —he had seen 
some one pour in cold water to facilitate the butter-making, as f it 
oegan to look like coming. No sooner thought, than acted upon; 
but the butter, alas! remained cream in statu quo . The day be¬ 
fore, a large rattlesnake, attracted by the genial warmth near the 
stove, had, without waiting for invitation, or being assured of a 
welcome, crawled in through a huge crack, and stretched out his 
three feet of length. With a scream or two on the part of the 
lady, and some dexterous and telling blows by a stronger arm, his 
snakeship was rendered harmless, though a most ugly object. I 
noticed a bottle of medicine on the little white-covered table, 
and over it pinned upon the wall a recipe for rattlesnake bites, 
and a sure cure . 
Upon our leaving, my friend was determined to share with me 
the unfortunate cream. So, with one six-quart pail of cream, 
and another of milk, and a pretty bunch of flowers, we started 
for home. It was no easy matter to carry such full measures 
without spilling; but, by very careful driving down the hills, the 
friend with me carrying one pail while we steadied the other in 
the bottom of the wagon, we reached Lawrence in safety. 
8 th. — I wanted to boil eggs at noon, but, as many times before, 
when proposing to cook something new, a dilemma arose. This 
time it came in the lack of a kettle to be used. Doctor’s expe¬ 
rience in roughing it in California was again useful, and upon his 
suggestion the eggs came out of the copper boiler properly cooked. 
A gentleman in at dinner spoke of some beautiful straw-colored 
flowers he had seen on the hill above us. E. and I started off, 
after dinner, with shovel in hand, to get some for transplanting. 
We went half a mile, and found a number of very beautiful 
bunches, but, after persevering efforts, were obliged to leave them, 
their firmly-set roots still clinging to the soil. We took up a few 
rose-bushes to set about the house. 
Among the stones down the side of the ledge, a little blue 
flower, with lily-like leaf, looked out temptingly; and carefully, be- 
