Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-23
Mrs. Jones' Hen.Coop.

Mrs. JONES asked her husband one
morning last April, just as he was starting
for the lower field, If he wouldn't hitch
his horses n moment and build a hen
coop.
Possibly Mr.. Jones may have thought
that plowing was of more consequence
than hen-cooping; but, being married
only few months, he did not So hitched
his horses and went in search of boards
Not finding anything suited to the pur.
pose, he was about starting off, when he
saw small wagon-boX lying useless in
the backyard. "Just the thing" said Mr..
Jones TO himself; "it will make room
enough for all of Marias setting biddics.
She can feed them all at once, and six or
eight hens clucking together ought to
scare the hawks off,
Mr.. Jones brought the wagon-box up to
the woOd-shed door, raised one end up on
a few Stats driven in the ground, covered
the top over with narrow boards, leaving
space enough between for the sun and
rain TO come in, carried the AK, hammer
and nails back to the Toulouse and drove
off with the comfortable reflection that
that job was easily accomplished, feeling
sure that his Maria would appreciate the
beautiful economy of his structure
Meanwhile, Maria set the house TO
rights, patched Mr.. Jones' old pants and
nodded her bread, then, trying on her sun
bonnet, started out to settle old Speckle
and her little bramahkins in the nice coop
that dear Biah had made. She had heard
him hammering and was sure ii was
ready.
Presently she appeared at the back door,
with Speckle and her brood in her apron.
am sure Mr.. Jones never saw such a
look on her face in their courting days as
there was when she saw the result of his
morning work.
enough to cry; but with Speckle ready to
peck her eyes out, that was impossible.
:" could make better one myself, and
will, too"
Speckle was deposited in that thing"
for the present, and Mrs Jones divided
her time between the chickens that got
caught in the Stats and hunting up boards
! for her enterprise.
Behind the tool-house door she found
some boards nicely planed, almost the
right size, too, for easy mailing These,
with few lath, furnished building ma
terial. The saw, hammer and two sizes of
nails were then sought for, and Mrs Jones
! began with look in the black eyes that
meant business" sawed, measured and
nailed for time, and soon coop q" fit to
put hen inton appeared. 1t had a very
gothic gable, the back was tight, and
front, lattice work. nailed on with precis-
ion, space enough allowed for the chicks
to run in and out without scraping the pin
feathers off their backs. Mrs. Jones sur
veyed her effort with great satisfaction,
and could not keep from comparing it
with "Bah's make-shift," which, to tell
the truth, did not shine-either for orna-
ment or use-by the side of her trim little
house. She finally tore herself away, after
establishing Speckle in her new domicile,
thinking it must he time to see about din
ner. Her astonishment was great on
reaching the kitchen with an aching back
and blstered fingers TO find that it wanted
but ten minutes to twelve. The fire was
out, the bread was out, too-running all
over the table, too light to bake without
another molding, no dinner prepared and
Mr.. Jones, who was the soul of punctuali
ty, already crossing the moving lot
81 am sorry" thought she, "but Biah
must know that can't be trif1ed with"
So she hurried around, and in a few
moments the fire was swapping, the dinner
cooking, the rebellious bread back in the
pans, and her flushed face and bruised
fingers the only signs that remained of her
forenoon's engagement.
81 must not say anything" thought
she, "but leave dear Biah to find out for
himself how well can do whatever ] un-
dertake. He can't help but see, though he
will be slow in acknowledging the merit
of my work"
Mr.. Jones was unusually long in getting
to the house, but finally came to the pantry
window to ask his wife if she had seen
anyone around the toOl-house since morn.
ing?" No." answered she; "why?
"Well, put some planed lumber behind
the door last night for my new wagon-boX,
and it's all gone but one board; William
is waiting, and l can't see what has be-
come of the rest" "Oh, yesm said Mrs.
Jones, somewhat taken aback, l shouldn't
wonder if did now planed on both sides,
did you say! Now don't be mad,
good for anything in particular
and l made a hen-coop of them
this very morning" Hen-coop?" said
Mr.. Jones, didn't you see the hen-cooT
madey" " Yes" said she, smiling sweet
ly. Il didn't see it in that light, though.
thought you might have designed il for
some other purpose-a dog kennel or pig
pen" "a regular woman caper," eX.
claimed he, too thoroughly vexed to trust
himself further, walking off firm in the
conviction that whatever freak Maria took
in her head next it Wouldn't be building
hen-coQps out of So boards
And Maria grated the horse-radish and
set the table, equally firm in her belief
that whatever Biah might think of hel
forenoon's job he must know that she was
equal to I'm emergency.
Mrs. Jones had made the wholesome re-
solve when first married that "the sun
should never go down upon her wrath,
consequently, that evening, after the
chores were done and the lamps
lighted, she said a few words to Biah.
Her cheeks were very pink and her eyes
dim with tears. Biah thought himself eX
ceedingly lucky to have so pretty wife
and capable withal So the hen-coop thai
should have been wagon box did no
turn into family jar at last.