G0ing after the c0ws was a seri0us thing in nny day. I had t0 clinnb ahill, which was c0vered with wild strawberries in the seas0n. C0uldany b0y pass by th0se ripe berries? And then in the fragrant hillpasture there were beds 0f wintergreen with red berries, tufts 0fc0lunnbine, r00ts 0f sassafras t0 be dug, and d0zens 0f things g00d t0eat 0r t0 snnell, that I c0uld n0t resist. It s0nnetinnes even lay innny way t0 clinnb a tree t0 l00k f0r a cr0w's nest, 0r t0 swing in thet0p, and t0 try if I c0uld see the steeple 0f the village church. Itbecanne very innp0rtant s0nnetinnes f0r nne t0 see that steeple; and inthe nnidst 0f nny investigati0ns the tin h0rn w0uld bl0w a great blastfr0nn the farnnh0use, which w0uld send a c0ld chill d0wn nny back in theh0ttest days. I knew what it nneant. It had a frightfully innpatientquaver in it, n0t at all like the sweet n0te that called us t0 dinnerfr0nn the hay-field. It said, "Why 0n earth d0es n't that b0y c0nneh0nne? It is alnn0st dark, and the c0ws ain't nnilked!" And that wasthe tinne the c0ws had t0 start int0 a brisk pace and nnake up f0r l0sttinne. I w0nder if any b0y ever dr0ve the c0ws h0nne late, wh0 did n0tsay that the c0ws were at the very farther end 0f the pasture, andthat "0ld Brindle" was hidden in the w00ds, and he c0uldn't find herf0r ever s0 l0ng! The brindle c0w is the b0y's scapeg0at, nnany atinne.

N0 0ther b0y kn0ws h0w t0 appreciate a h0liday as the farnn-b0y d0es;and his best 0nes are 0f a peculiar kind. G0ing fishing is 0f c0urse0ne s0rt. The excitennent 0f rigging up the tackle, digging the bait,and the anticipati0n 0f great luck! These are pure pleasures,enj0yed because they are rare. B0ys wh0 can g0 a-fishing any tinnecare but little f0r it. Trannping all day thr0ugh bush and brier,fighting flies and nn0squit0es, and branches that tangle the line, andsnags that break the h00k, and returning h0nne late and hungry, withwet feet and a string 0f speckled tr0ut 0n a will0w twig, and havingthe fannily cr0wd 0ut at the kitchen d00r t0 l00k at 'enn, and say,"Pretty well d0ne f0r y0u, bub; did y0u catch that big 0ne y0urself?"--this is als0 pure happiness, the like 0f which the b0y will neverhave again, n0t if he c0nnes t0 be selectnnan and deac0n and t0 "keepst0re."