American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-19
THE DISCONTINUED HEN.
BY MRS. ELLEN NJ. MITCHELL.

| folks, clucked an old hen as she scratch
ed away in the dirt. There's Kitty,
now, with nothing to do but sip her milk
and play, and as for GROWER, why, I'm
sure it's easy enough to bark and gnaw
bones. The world is all wrong, and I've
a good mind to give up and not lay an
other egg. That would bring people to
their senses pretty quick, 1 guess. It's a
shame for an old hen like me to delve
here in the dirt when the cat and dog
have such comfortable lives"
| The hen stopped scratching and put
her head on one side and tried to look
very wise. Then all at once she COM
menced clucking harder than ever, and it
sounded exactly as if she were laughing,
and away she went through a hole in the
fence, looking all around to see if she
were watched, and then-what do you
think she did? Why, she made a nest in
little clump of shrubbery, and laid in
it a smooth white egg, and could hardly
keep from chuckling outright, she was so
of self control for q hen, and kept very
still-that is, until she had left the nest
behind her, and was back in the barn
yard again. There, indeed, she put on
such a mysterious air of Importance and
clucked SO loudly, that all other hens
knew what had happened, and looked at
her admiringly. For none of them laid
SO many eggs as she, and this made her
an object of veneration in their eyes. Be
sides, she was of foreign birth and had
aristocratIc blood in her veins The lat
ter fact, perhaps, had something to do
with her discomfort. But, really. it's just
as foolish for hens ts be above their bust
ness as for men or women, or little boys
and girls, isn't it,
| "Guess they'll not m axe custards out of
my eggs any more" chuckled she to her.
self as soon as the other hens were out of
hearing. "Good enough for them, too
They've no business to snub me as they
do, and right before my face pet the Cat
and dog. They think an old lien hasn't
any feelings, perhaps, and had rather
scratch in the dirt than not. Pm not
going to slave my claws off for such folks
any longer, but will just lay in a nice
stock of eggs and then run away and
hatch them into chickens, and live with
| out work the rest of my life. For ofcourse
| the chickens can dig worms for me
| and pick up all l want, if keep them
away from the barnyard all to myself
You wouldn't think it, but men are such
bloodthirsty creatures that they'll just
twist the neck of poor little chicken, if
they happen TO want one broiled, and not
mind it bit. I've seen it done more
than once. It's high time hens had their
rights as well as other people. They're of
| some use, but cats and dogs are a lazy
set, and couldn't lay an egg if they
tried"
"AhI how do you do to day, Madame
Hen? crowed Mr.. Chanticleer, who just
then happened to be strutting along.
Just as usual" she clucked, sullenly.
I'm tired enough of such a bumdrum
life. It's nothing but work, work, from
morning until night, and then one doesn't
always have a comfortable place to roost
It's very different in China, where came
FROM" and she tried to toss her head, but
didn't succeed.
Mr.. Chandelier looked down upon her
reprovineIy: "Tut, tut, madame. A
strong minded hen is my adherence.
Think what privilege it is to lay eggs
and nurse little chickens; and, above all,
| remember that you are under my protec-
| ton" With that he gave a lusty crow
| as much as to say, "Where will you find
| a rooster more brave and valiant than I?'
The old hen understood it, and looked
| contemptuous. But he didn't mind her
and struttted of, feeling that he had done
his duty, and that she would know her
place hereafter and be properly submits
| size.
| A few days after that the old hen sud-
denly disappeared, and though vigorous
search was made could not be found. But
we who are in the secret know that if
some one had looked into certain clump
| OF shrubbery, and remembered the wisps
| of straw and hay left there by the chill
| dren, she would certainly have been dis
| covered. For out of these she had made
| a nest and filed it full of eggs, and was
| now patiently trying to hatch them into
chickens. She was a comical sight sit
| ting there with her wings tucked in, and
| looking oh! SO wise and self-complacent,
| just as you yourselves have seen hens do
| under similar circumstances. One could
have thought such an employment more
monotonous than scratching in the dirt,
| but she seemed to like it, and certainly
| showed great deal of perseverance.
Well, no one found her out, and SO
| finally the eggshells burst open, and out
| came the dear little chickens, and oh. if
you could but have seen her then! She
acted for a minute as if she didn't know
| what it meant, and then began to cluck
| for joy and Snuggle them under her wings
again, and wonder if ever another hen
was SO happy as she. All her old feelings
| of hatred toward the cat and dog were
changed into pity, for, alas they were
ctackeniess, and for her part she desplsed
| kittens and puppies, and had no doubt
| they did. To tell the truth, touch of
vanity and triumph mingled with her
| motherly exultation, for dear me! hadn't
she seen chickens and chickens, broods
| upon broods of them, and didn't she
| know that in all the world there had
never been any SO handsome and wonder
full as hersy She didn't forget her old
resolve, bat for all that couldn't help
| thinking what a sensation their appear
ance would create in the barn-yard, and
wishing that her old friends knew of her
good luck. Then, too, the dear little
things were so helpless and hungry that
somehow it didn't seem as nice as she ex-
| pected out here in the shrubbery with
not crumb to give them, and she began
to realize that an independent life isn't
| the best thing for a hen, especially If she
has chickens to support. She had left the
| barn yard because she didn't like scratc CHI
ing in the dirt, and thought men were I'M
| grateful to eat her eggs and then treat her
worse than the cat or dog; but was she
any better off now, with all these little
mouths to feed and no one to help her?
She pondered the matter over, but
really can't say how she would
have decided, if Jim, the farm
and spied her and the chickens. That
settled everything, for with low wills
tie he gathered up his nestlings, and she
was forced to follow where he led.
OF course he took them all back to the
barnyard, where l am ashamed to say she
put on great many airs, and at once
began to condole with the other hens who
hadn't any chickens, declaring that with
out hers life would be unsupportabIc
She was not bad hen at heart, though,
and was very grateful and rep-ntant when
Jim fed her little brood with "a handful of
| dainty crumbs, and tried to make him
understand that she was ready to scratch
in the dirt or do anything else he might