The Man And The Cow

This b a tale of a merchant and cow. The merchant bought the cow, but like the cow the merchant was sold, The merchaut was a city man with a large and thirsty family. He took them to the country for the summer, and by alightening calculatíou discovered that a cow which gave eighteeu quarts of milk a day was what he wanted. He asked a faithful serving-man of the country if he knew of anybody who had a cow of that capacity. The serviug inan knew of a simple countryman who had precisely that cow. He brought the cow to the merchant, and the inerchant sent the innocent cuuntryman a check for $50. Then the cow was niilked, and the total for the first day was fifteen quarts. The faithful serving-man told the confiding merchaut that was &n off-day with the cow, and that she would do bitter next time. But the iiext day the cow was "off" still, and now after a mouth's trial a threequart pail is an ampie receptical for all she gives at a milking for the thirsty family. The merchant is disappointed in the cow. The faithful serving-man is grieved, and the simple countryman ia perplexed. He thinks the cow is hoimsick, but is mistaken about that. It is the merchant who is homesick. The merchant would fain procure another eighteen-quart cow, but he is shy of the simple countrymen. He f'ound one of these the other day who had an eighteen-quart cow which he was willing to sell for $75. When the merchant asked him what he would allow for hia homesick cow, the simple couutryman replied: "What, ihat? Well, $25 is all she's worth." The merchant did not deal with the countryman. He sought auother who bad au eighteen-quart cow. This on3 was willing to exchange his cow for the homesick cow if the merchant would pay him $60 besides aad would agrea to sell the cow back to him in the fall for 40 ! Does the merchant want a cow? No, he does not want a cow. He has all the cow he cares for. But he will be glad to find some other merchant who wants to buy a cow. He will sell him his.