The daily gazette., 1875-03-18
A Setting Hen.
WHAT 1T COST 10 ATTEMPT BREAKING UP
HER RRooDfNa.


"Well, let her set," said Timothy,
helping himself to piece of cheese
Il reckon can stand it as long as she
can"
II do wish you would be more equi-
nomical of cheese, Timothy; I've cut
the very last of my every day lot, and
its only the first of May And now, as
soon as you've done eating l want you
to go out and break up that hen. She
is settin' on an old axe and two bricks
now"
81 hope she'll hatch 'em," returned
Timothy.
"If she was set now she'd hatch the
fourth week in May. It's bad sign |;
something alters happens after it. Stop
giggling Helen Maria, by the time you
get as old as yer ma, yell see further
than you do now. There was Jennings
folks gray top knot Matched the last
week 10 May, and Miss Jennings she
had the conjunction ON the lungs, and
would have died if they hadn't killed
lamb and wrapped her in the hide
while it was warm. That was all that
saved her."
With such startling proof of the
truth OF the omen before him Timothy
finished his breakfast with haste and
went to the barn, from which he soon
returned bearing the squalling biddy
by the legs.
"What shall do with her, mother :?
She'll get on again, and she's as cross
as Bedlam-she skinned my hands d
| would be the death of me if she could
get loose"
"Tve heer'n it said that it was good
plan to throw 'em to in the air." said
Mrs. Hayes. "Aunt Peggy broke one
of setting only three times trying. Sup.
pose you try it.
Cup she goes, head or tale ?" cried
Timothy, as he tossed the volcano sky
wards.
"Land-a-massy," exclaimed Mrs.
H., "she's coming down into the pan
of bread that I set out on the great
rock to rise. Tim, tits strange you
can't do nothing without OVERRIDING
lit.
"Down with the traitors, up with
the stars" sung out Tim elevating
Biddy again with something less than
a pint of batter hanging to her feet.
| 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
| Squire Bennett, who happened to be
passing, and the dignified old gentle
man was the father of Cynthia Ben
nett, the young lady with whom Tim
was seriously enamored.
The Squire looked daggers, brushed
off the dough with his handkerchief
and strodc on in silence
"Yas, but its going up again." said
| Tim, spitefully, seizing the clucking
| biped and tossing her at random into
the air. Biddy Thought 1t time to
manifest her individuality, and with
a loud scream she darted against the
parlor window, broke through,
knocked down the canary cage, and
landed plumb 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 flew
at her reflection In the looking glass
with an angry hiss. The glass was
shattered and down came the hen, as
tonished above measure, against a
vase of flowers, which upset, and in
falling, knocked over the stand dish
and deluged with ink and water q
Ipair of slippers, which Helen Maria
was embroidering for her lover, Mr..
james Hcnshaw.
Helen entered the room just as the
mischief had been done, and viewing
the ruin, she at once laid it TO hei
brother Timothy. She heard his ster
behind her, and the unfortunate her
she flung full in his face.
| There was a smothered oath, and
then the hen came back with the force
of a twelve pound shot.
Helen was mad Her eyes were
nearly put out with the feathery dust
and dough, and she went at Timothy
with true feminine zeal She broke
his watch guard into dozen pieces
crushed his dickey, and began to pull
his whiskers out by the roots, wher
she suddenly remembered that Timo
thy had no whiskers to pull out by
the roots.
But when she came to look closer
she perceived that the man she haC
lnearly annihilatcd was not Timothy
but James Henshaw.
Poor Helen burst into tears and flef
into her chamber, the usual refuge fo
heroines; and James, after washing
his face at the kitchen sink, wen
home sternly resolved never to MARI,
: q woman with such temper as Heller
Hayes had;
The hen, meanwhile, who is ou
heorine, returned to the barn to es
tablish herself On the ruins of he
nest, sullenly determined to set it
the heavens fell.
Mrs. Hayes soon Uncovered hel
and having heard that dipping Il
water would cure "broodiness," sh
y set forth for the brook with the fow
in her apron.
Mrs. Weaver, an old lady of yer,
lquarrelsome temperament, who res
ded near, and was at swords poin
with Mrs. Hayes, was just coming t
the brook for a pail of water, AM
!: spied the yellow head OF the bir
Ipeeping out from Mrs. Hayes's apron
"There," she exclaimed, "now Nv
: found out what puzzled me to deaf