' the woman was Miss Adams. I used ter know George Adams
quite a spell ago, an' he was a likely feller. Well, it come on to snow
jest as fine an' dry as sand, an' the wind blew like needles, an', come
next day, when I started to foot it down there, I didn't feel as though
I could ha' gone, ef I hadn't been sure of a good bargain; the snow
hadn't driv much, but the weather had settled down dreadful cold; 't was
dead still, an' the air sorter cut ye to breathe it; but I'm naterally
hardy, an' I kep' along till I got there. I didn't feel so all-fired
cold as I hev sometimes, but when I stepped in to the door, an' she
asked me to hev a cheer by the fire, fust I knew I didn't know nothin';
I come to the floor like a felled ox. I expect I must ha' been nigh on
to dead with clear cold, for she was the best part o' ten minutes
bringin' on me to. She rubbed my hands an' face with camphire an' gin me
some hot tea; she hadn't got no sperits in the house, but she did
everything a little woman could do, an' I was warmed through an' through
afore long, an' we stepped out into the shed to look at the cow.

"Well, Squire, I ha'n't got much natur' into me noway, an' it 's well I
ha'n't; but that cow beat all, I declare for 't! She put her head round
the minute Miss Adams come in; an' if ever you see a dumb beast pleased,
that 'ere cow was tickled to pieces. She put her nose down to the
woman's cheek, an' she licked her hands, an' she moved up agin' her an'
rubbed her ear on her,--she all but talked; an' when I looked round an'
see them black eyes o' Miss Adams's with wet in 'em, I 'most wished I
had a pocket-handkercher myself.

"'You won't sell her to a hard master, will you?' says she. 'I want her
to go where she'll be well cared for, an' I shall know where she is; for
if ever things comes right agin, I want to hev her back. She's been half
my livin' an' all my company for quite a spell, an' I shall miss her
dreadfully.'

"'Well,' says I, 'I'll take her down to Squire Hollis's in Avondale;
he's got a cow-barn good enough for a Representative to set in, an'
clean water, an' chains to halter 'em up with, an' a dry yard where the
water all dreens off as slick as can be, an' there a'n't such a piece o'
land nowhere round for root-crops; an' the Squire he sets such store by
his cows an' things, I've heerd tell he turned off two Irishmen for
abusin' on 'em; an' they has their bags washed an' their tails combed
every day in the year,--an'