see long lines of "buck" fence, a flock of sheep near by, and cattle
scattered about feeding. This is Cora Belle's home. On the long, low
porch you would see two old folks rocking. The man is small, and has
rheumatism in his legs and feet so badly that he can barely hobble. The
old lady is large and fat, and is also afflicted with rheumatism, but
has it in her arms and shoulders. They are both cheerful and hopeful,
and you would get a cordial welcome....

When you saw Cora Belle you would see a stout, square-built little
figure with long flaxen braids, a pair of beautiful brown eyes and the
longest and whitest lashes you ever saw, a straight nose, a short upper
lip, a broad, full forehead,--the whole face, neither pretty nor ugly,
plentifully sown with the brownest freckles. She is very truly the head
of the family, doing all the housework and looking after the stock,
winter and summer, entirely by herself. Three years ago she took things
into her own hands, and since that time has managed altogether. Mrs.
O'Shaughnessy, however, tells her what to do.

The sheep, forty in number, are the result of her individual efforts.
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy told her there was more money in raising lambs than
in raising chickens, so she quit the chickens as a business and went to
some of the big sheep-men and got permission to take the "dogie" lambs,
which they are glad to give away. She had plenty of cows, so she milked
cows and fed lambs all day long all last year. This year she has forty
head of nice sheep worth four dollars each, and she doesn't have to
feed them the year round as she would chickens, and the wolves are no
worse to kill sheep than they are to kill chickens. When shearing-time
came she went to a sheep-man and told him she would help cook for his
men one week if he would have her sheep sheared with his. She said her
work was worth three dollars, that is what one man would get a day