Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-17
THE POULTRY SHOW.

They were two f0rlorn chickens that n1asu
Mt the foot Of the garden, where the rlvSr ta n
fast wedged In cake OF Ice, with nar1y r nns
took them in and wrapped their poor CLAWS ,v 10
OIL and wool and fed them In oasKet, anu s ae66
them the air on fine days py Wai Nh vant bv
Min the basket on her arm. till, as she went ny,
the neiSh6ors were wont to speak Of her as the
But Marcia was sublmely Indifferent to neigh o
.,nr,ose of ssborrowing," and being much more
%nd OF dumb animals than OF humanity, going
about half the time followed by her pets-a bird
in her hair, parrot on her finger, cats purring
round her feet, and dogs bounding In her path.
She heartily agreed with somebody who says
dog is perpetual baby In the house, never
her brothers and her superior elder sisters, and
and all her cousins and their confidential friends,
thought Marcia'S last fancy was the worst OF
all Those ridiculous chickens was becon-
ing family watchword: But their condition
on that cake OF ice, as they floated farther and
farther away from the barn-yard that was
home, had rather touched poor Marcia's heart,
fast, and have gone without every day herself,
rather than not have fed them. Although tne
means at home were limited, still they were n0t
but the fact OF Marcias temper getting fired
early In the affair, although she said noth1ng,
determined her To make those chickens pay for
what they had and When one ana laid them In
triumph on her mothers lap, she felt that she
said great deal.
those eggs ,Hsas sne a9Sed her
head. She came home one day from long
walk with black Spanish hen In her arms: for
which she had contracted debt to De pald IN
her Houdin eggs. When, some six weeks after
wards, dozen curious little gallinace0uS specl-
mems were running about the yard, Marcia
watched them with intense curiosity, and Ior
weeks, II not months, to come seemed TO DE
holding her breath. Not an egg of her Houdin
hens, however did she allow to be taken for
pudding or cake: one baSketful OF them went
another 6asketful was found to have purchasing
power equal to securing q pair OF white ban
fams, and then the HoudIn hen, whose inclina-
ed upon raising family Of her own But Marcia
felt very well equipped, and she added only
some patience to her stock In trade just then.
At four months old her brown Leghorn pallet
laid an egg, and on that same day she brought
one Of her twelve chickens into the house in
Tapture|it was black chicken with huge
white top-knot.
are no fowl like these in all this part OF the
country. It's black Poland-I read about them
In the library book"
believe you're insane about these miserable
birds. You have no time or thought for any
thing else. And here is all your music going TO
"How many years have been taking lessons,
,. How many yearss Ever since you were
corn, was going 10 say.
nor then so that the composer wouldn't run
away II he heard me. SO what Is the use? Now
have found just what I'm fit for. Ii only had
some sort OF carpenters skill"
"Well, should like to know what you want
that for In taking care of hens" said Bessie.
81 should think it would be OF about as much
use as embroidery" said Emily.
marcia always was so unprecedented"
sighed her mother.
"What is it you want to do, Marcia?" asked
T0rs,f ole TO no rnopf hal hi,
0Just to make boxes and roosts and hutches
for my hens, so as to keep them wholesome and
Wholesome and happy!" said her mother.
"Why, yes, mamma" said Bessie 81 should
think there was really sense In that, II there Is
water Is clean, they'll drink more. and If every
thing Is to their hen mind, OF course they'll lay
what absurdity, Bess,n
"No indeed mamma" exclaimed Marcia, i'm.
petuously. ''You don't know how human they
are. You see the lords and masters fighting for
that has an inflrmity; see the old maid auntsE'
ideally, now, you remember those two COM
mon sitting hens bought to batch out some Of
brood, and the other lost all hers? Wen, the
one that lost hers tries with all her might to be
mother TO the other hens hens chickens She
long, gives them the morsel instead of taking IL
herself, win get them under her wings when
the real mother isn't looking, and the real
mother doesn't seem to care at all; and at night,
evidently feeling dreadfully because they will
go under their mothers wings then In the bar
rel instead OF under hers outside, she gets on
the other hens. Now isn't that Just like an
Old maid aunt and the idle Indifferent mamma
who lies on the sofa and reads novels, and lets
her sister take care of the babieS?"
ST never heard such talk, Marcia, nor saw q
person with such low tastes. can't conceive
where you got them" cried her mother.
why, mamma" said BesS, III the Lord could
watch them"
,nsI rs e f5st.sss" said Phil. "what else do
.Eyerything that human being do. They are
Jealous OF each other, like Mormon wives.
Those that are not fav0fiteS sometimes 20 to
r006t In the middle Of the afternoon, so as to
and he goes picking round with his favorite TIL
bed time, and then flies up and knocks tAe
others out Of the way to make room for her.
What do youthink Of that?"
"It's true. And I'll tell you something more
BE thinks he knows how to lay an egg better
than the hen does. And IL there's hen that's
It, and gets out Of 1t, and coaxes her. and liter
ally tries to show her how. Isn't that human?
Those husbands that know everything on,
IT'S as good as play!"
al should think So"
"And then the first Growing of little young
rooster, and the strutting afterward-it's 80
exactly luxe the first long coat of boy, and the
8trutt1nR after that"
"Marcia, am ashamed OF YOU" said her
mother. ~ must beg to hear no more such
"Now, Mrs. Thurston," said Phil, sI'm sure
saw you laughing. And as for me, I'm going to
make those boxes with March. Pm lust as
good carpenter as NOah."
And so Phil went down the garden with Mar
cia, and there were days upon days OF hammer
Ing and saving and lifting; and Tom was going
about full OF mischief, and Emily had her sew
ing under the apple-tree near by, and Bessie
came down to bring freshly baked tart or
some hot gingerbread.
"And Pm sure It's just like picnicking," said
Marcia. "You ought to be obliged to me for
making such pleasant occasion. And Pm
awfully s0rry that were almost through" And
as she uttered the last sentence, Philip happen
ing to glance down at her In that moment from
the ladder where he was standing, her face sud
before 1t, and she turned and hid Its color over
ago that seemed nOw-had taken at school In
exchange for pins, meaning to sell them to the
junk-man, but diverted from their purpose by
one OF Mrs. Thurston's methods Of persuasi On.
Mamma always was the enemy OF enter
prise" said Tom when they found the box, ~
suppose it's the Oil OF birch that has kept these
nails from getting rusty"
But as soon as Marcia could slip away from all
that merry racket she flew down to the foot of
the orchard, and cast herself into the deep grass
there In the shadow, and cried to break her
heart. That one glance In Philips face that
swift instant had Sprypd N furn tho uuhoIo