The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-01-03
BREAKING UP A SETTING HEN.

agin," said Mrs. Hayes to her son, one
morning at breakfast.
Well, let her set" remarked limo.
thy, helping himself to large piece of
cheese, +" | reckon 1 can stand it as long
as she can"
L do wish you would try to be lit
tie equinomical to cheese, Timothy I've
cut the last of my every day lot, and it's
only the first of May. And now as soon
you We done eating l want you to go out
and break up that hen. She's setting on
an old ak and two bricks now"
4" / hope she'll hatch 'em," returned
Timothy.
+" Ii she was set now, she'd hatch the
fourth week in May. It's bad sign =
something alters happens arter it. Stop
gigsling, Helen Maria, by the time you
get to be as old as your ma yell see fur
ther than you do now. There was Jen-
kins' folks, their grey top knot Matched
the first of May. and Mrs. jenkins, she
had the CONJUNCTION of the lungs. and
would have died if they had not killed
lamb and wrapped her in the hide while
warm. That was all that saved her Lille.
With such startling proof of the truth
and the omen before him, Timothy fin
ished his breakfast in haste and departed
for the barn, from which he soon retured
bearing the squalling biddy by the legs.
Whaxshall do with her, mother
She'll get on again, and she's cross as
bedlam - she skinned my hands, aud
would be the death Of me if she could on
ly get loose"
I've heer'n it said that it was a good
plan to throw them up in the air." said
Mrs. Hayes. Aunt Peggy broke one of
setting, only three times trying. Spose'n
you try it,"
up she goes, head or tall" cried
Timothy, as he tossed the volcano sky
ward.
Land massy," exclaimed Mrs.
Hayes. "she's coming down on the pan
of bread that | set out on the great rock
10 rise Tim, it's strange that you can't
do nothing without OVERRIDING it,"
"Down with the traitors, up with the
stars" sang out Tim, elevating Biddy
again with something less than pint of
batter hanging to her feet.
g Good gracious me, wuss and wuss,"
cried Mrs. Hayes, and Tim agreed with
her, for the hen had come down, on the
well polished tile of Esquire Bennett,
who happened to be passing and the dig
Uifed old gentleman was the father of
Cynthia Bennett, the young lady with
whom Tim was seriously enamoured.
The Squire looked daggers, brushed
off the dough with his handkerchief, and
strode on in silence.
:" Yes, but its going up again." said
Tim, spitefully seizing the cluckiug bid
dy and tossing herzet random into the
air. Biddy thought it time to manifest
her individuality, and with loud scream
she darted against the parlor window,
broke through, Knocked down the canary
cage, and landed plump in the silken lap
of Mrs. Gray, who was boarding at the
farm house.
Mrs. Gray screamed with horror, and
starting up, dislodged biddy, who few at
her reflection in the looking glass with an
angry hiss. The glass was shattered and
down came the hen, astonished beyond
measure, against a vase of flowers, which
upset, and in falling knocked over the
stand dish and deluged with water pair
of drab-colored velvet slippers which
Helen Maria was embroderiDg for her
lover, Mr.. James Henshaw
Helen entered the room just as the
mischief had been done. and viewing the
ruin, she at once laid it to her brother
Timothy She heard his step behind
her, and the unfortunate hen she flung
full in his face.
There was a smothered oath. and the
hen came back with the force Of twenty
pound shot.
Helen was mad Her eyes were nearly
put out with the feathers, dust aud dough,
and she went at Timothy with true fem
mime zeal. She broke his watch guard
in dezen pieces. crushed his dicky, and
began to pull his whiskers out by the
roots. when suddenly she remembered
that Timothy had no whiskers to pull out
by the roots.
But when she came to look closer, she
perceived the man she had nearly annihi
lated was not Timothy, but James Hen
shaw
IOOr i1elcu UuIsC luto leaio ouu HN"
into her chamber. the usual, refuge for
heroines; and james after washing his
face at the kitchen sink, went home
sternly resolved never to marry woman
with such temper as Helen Hayes had.
The hen, meanwhile, who is the hero
inc, returned to the barn to establish her.
self on the ruin Of her nest, determined
to set if the heavens fell
Mrs. Hayes soon discovered her, and
she having heard that dipping in water
would cure broodness," set forth for
the brook with the fowl in her apron.
Mrs. Weaver, an old lady of very quar-
relsome temperament, who resided near,
and was at swords point with Mrs.
Hayes, was just coming to the brook for
a pail of water, and spied the yellow head