Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-04-27
"It is very I'rue,"

an had ever been seen. 1T is frghtfu
poultry-yard story! ] really would no
dare to sleep alone a: night. 1t is fortp
nate that there arc many of us togethe
when we 60 to roost' And she spoke il
such myterious way as to make the teath
ers of all the other hens stand out, and tn
comb of the cock fall down. 1t is yer.
true. s
"But we will begin at the beginning, AM
that was at another corner ofthe town, IL
a poultry yard. The sun. had set, and tn
fowls flew up to their perches; one of then
she had white feathers and short legs
laid her eggs with all due regularity, ant
was. as a hen, in every way respectable
as she was about go to roost, pecked her
self with her bill, and down fell one of he
little feathers. :.
"'There it goes ? SAID she, tanc the more
I pluck out the handsomer shall become
But this was Only said in jest-for she wa
the gayest among all the fowls, although, a
before sald, extremely respectable. So sh'
fell asleep. There was darkness all around
hen was perched by hen; but the one wh'
was placed nearest to her was not asleep
She heard and she did not hear, as people
are 50 often obliged to do in this world il
order to live in peace !; but she could no
resist saying 10 her next neighbor, Have
YOU heard what has lust been said
blame no one-b0t there is hen who ha:
determined to pluck her own feathers out
by way ofmaking herself beautiful Were
l the. cock, would despse and discart
herp ,..... :, .n ,l,.. s.~.,-
GA little way above the hen-roost hvec
an oxl, with It's mate and owletS they had
quick ears in that family; they overheard
every worhthat the talkatlve fowl had. said
and they stared with their eyes,. and the
matron owl-fanped herself with her wings.
'Oh do only listen But you surely heard
what was said | heard it with my own
ears. Actually one of these hens has SO
far forgotten all propriety, that she is sit
ting there p!ucLing off all her feathers, and
allowing the cock 10 look at her thus de-
nuded !
".'Prenez gardc aux enfants = exclaimed
the father Of the young owls; Children
should not hear of such doings!'
81 shall 90 and tell the owl who is our
opposite neighbor about it though: she is a
good sort of friendly creature and away
flew the mother owl.
"'Hu, hu! whuh = hooted they both to-
gether, while they made the best of their
way to a pigeon house near; have you
heard the news uh uhl A hen has pluck
ed out all her feathers for the cocks sake ;
and she is freezing to death-if not already
dead, uh uh = .,,.
"'Where where? cooed the pigeons.
In the neighhoring poultry-yad. /
have almost as good as,seen it myself; it
seems an incredible story to tell-bpt 1t is
rery true H..
Owe believe every word. ofit,' said the
pigeons, and down they few TO the pou-
iry-yard. There is hen-nay, some say
there are two hens, who have plucked off
all their own feathers, to look different from
the rest, and attract the attention Of the
cock, 1t was dangerous proceeding--e-
nough to give them cold and make them
die cl rever-and they are both dead "
.. "NWalie up! wake up ! crowed the cock,
as he few up en- the wooden paing; his
eyes were still heavy with sleep, but he
crowed away notwithstanding. 'Three hens
have died Of unhappy love for cock !
They have plucked out all their feathers.
1t is shocking story, bat it cannot. be con-
cealed. .,.A l.4.... 80.
"Et cannot be concealed! = repeated the
bats and the hers clucked and the cocks
crowed-and so The report travelled from
poutry-yard 10 poultryyard, till at length
it came back to the place where it had ori-
mated. !, It was there told that five hens had
plucked out Their feathers, in order TO see
which of them had become the thin
nest from their unfortunate love Cor the
,cock-that they had attacked each other in
desperate manner, and fought till each,
bathed in its blood, had fallen down dead,
to the everlasting disgrace of their families,
and to the great loss of their owner.
"The hen who. had dropped the light lit
lie feather, naturally did notreCognise her.
tef to be the heroine Of the tale, and, as
she was very respectable fowl, she said,
For nay part can feel nothing bnt con-
tempt for these hens; but there are too
many of the same calibre ! Such scanda-
lous occurrences cannot be concealed, and
| do not doubt the story will find its way
INTO fbc newspapers. It is only what these
wrctched hens have deserved, and their
families to boot .s.,.
"The story did get into the newspapers ;
it wns actually printed and it IS. very true
that ole little feather can be magnlied into
five fowls l''-
PET RAr.-I was astoniShed on visiting
the house Of some Of the inhabitants Gn
Siam to see a huge ra! walking quietly
about tie room, and crawling up. The mas.
ter's legs in cool familiar manner In
stead Of repusing it, or eyincing any alarm,
he took it up in his hands and caressed it ;
and then learned for he first time, and to
nv utter astonishment, that it was custom
prevalent in Bangkok. 10 keep. pet rats,
which are taken very young, and carefully
reared until they attain perfectly mon
strous size, from good and plentiful feeding.
These domestic rats are kept expressly TO
free lhe house OF other vermln Of their own
race; and SO feroclous are they in the OH
slaughs they make, that few of the houses
are ever annoyed by mice or rats,-.Nsald
Residence in SIAN.
o. The embalming Of human bodies has
arrived to-a high degree of perfection, and
is process becoming quite frequently re-
sorted to in New York, particularly IN the
warm season. i is done by opening the
lnrna rn.n In iha necL and iniectinr ato,t