Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-08
Eggs.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

never come upon a nest Of eggs, Sc
creted by the. hen most conscientiously
aud unknown TO tile most searching OF
housekeepers, without sense of boyish
delight, hich would bring down on me
reproving looks and grave admonton
from all who have an awful sense of the
proper dignity of ministers. But have
no doubt soda and acids come together
with the very best resolutions. They are
determined to restrain themselves, and
not foam over. Yet the first drop of
water sets them off, and they make bub.
bles and throw them in each others ia.
ces at furious rate, in spite of all the
efforts at selt-government. Now what
is to be done about it? Were they not
made SO? Aud are not some people
m; SO as TO effervesce easily? Why
they were made so, is a question that
should be addressed to another quarter.
Well, was going to say that the dis.
covery OF hidden eggs was always an
excitement, and there liave been times
when the excitement was prolonged and
extreme. 1t chanced in this wise, and
in the goodly Stateof Indiana.
ANO hiOiO uc'it, careful, cAdCJ ana
scrupous houseke, per was ever seen in
the Hooser State than our fair landlady
who had us in special charge during the
ABSENCE of our proper head and queen,
who sought health on the seaboard. An
old-iashioned barn there was, huge in
the middle, with a variety OF sheds, lean
toS, stables and carriage houses, project
ing on every side of it, as if the barn
had settled family of little barns all a
round it. 1t was Il family barn, beloved
OF hens and boys. For in its roomy in
icrior, and III the passages, bins, hooks
and corners, all sorts OF trohcs might he
carried ON; While AN occasional ''pcak
at the cracks would keep them informed
when The ola man was coming.
DH hens who have Il sccrelive ttnden.
cy, modesty OF the nest, find their par.
adlse III such a voiumnous barn. Here
they may lay iu silence, and proclaim II
in vociterous c2ckle, bringing down TIE
whole barn-yard in chorus, and making
echoes in the neighboriug hen yards, and
yet the searcher tipd nothing .....
THAT pesky hen! she lays every day
and yet we are none the better for hei
eggs. | wonder where the creature
hides? If Harvey was half as smart as
his father, | know he could find that
nest" ,-.
Again aud again came the cXultanI
cackle, and again and again we were
without custards!
And so, one 5mcliow- au umn day, we
wandered through the garden and stroll
ed into the barn. 1t was not so inl but
that II had the sense Of great space. II
was festooncd with cobwebs and had al
the tribes of spiders that hide in hal
lights. We clinibed UP 'the beams, We
jumped down from far up Oh the hay
aad tinally, after sundry amnsemcnls
iay'down byihe side where the shrunl
boards gave us an inspection crack, iron
which we swept the neighborhood-saw
aud were unseen. Soon we heard th,
least possible sound of a foot on the hay
Turning our head, we beheld the produc
tive but Improbable hen stealing toward
her secret nest. 1t was the one time to,
often. We knew as mnch as she did.
How rapacious are all conquerors.
There was the rounded nest, well sunl
iH a corner, foil, brimful of eggs-thir
teen, besides one for. nest eggl A
oriental kings despoil captured city
rob It's people, pull down their choic
architecture and quite discrown its beau
ty, SO we found the nest glowing whit,
as marble, and lett it-like hay.
Is there not providence tor hens L
there not a fate that follows the mos
obscure and unmatched violence
Wepnt, the eggs, safely in our coat
tail pocket, and walked cautiously.
recalled piece of diSreputable careless
ness on ouro fathers part, who once sa
down on "a dozen eggs, and went up a
il every egg was a bomb, ard ever
bomb was in explosion. But then h
was notoriously absent-miuded mar
His very example was our safety. An,
yet we dwelt with some inward mirtl
as we walked to the house, on The lud
erous figure our father cut. Dinner wa
spread as we came in. Some question
came up which diverted our thought
from the nest-indeed we forgot that "
had eggs about us, and diew to the tabl
aud sat down with an alacrity which wa
only equaled by the spring with whicl
we got up.
"Gracious %
"Why, what is the matter?"
"Matter enough !"
"Are you sickY Do let"
| drew my hand from my poke,
streaming with liquid chicken, never t
be born. and the disgusting secret wa
out That woman was a saint! NJ
pockets were duly cleansed, without on
cutting word. can imagine the pre-
cess, but never like to dwell upon il
Would you believe it, the same thin