The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-06-05
THE POULTRY SHOW,

They were two forlorn chickens that
landed at the foot of the garden, where
the river ran, fast wedged in cake OF
ice, with hardly any feathers, and with
both feet frozen. Marcia took them in
and wrapped their poor claws in oil and
wool, and fed them in basket, and
gave them the air on fine days by walk
ing abroad with the basket on her arm,
till, as she went by, the neighbers were
wont to speak of her as the poultry
show.
But Marcia was sublimely Indifferent
to neighbors, considering that they ex-
listed only for the purpose of "borrow-
lng," and being much more fond of
dumb amin ais 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 heart
lily agreed with somebody who says a
dog is perpetual baby in the house,
never growing up, and never telling
tales. Of course her brothers and her
superior elder sisters, and all her cou-
sins and their confidential friends.
thought Marcia's last fancy was the
worst of all. "Those ridiculous chick
ens!" was becoming family watch
word. 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.
and she would have given them her own
breakfast, and have gone without eyerv
day herself, rather than not have fed
them. Although the means at home
were limited, still they were not so
much so that the chickens needed to 90
unfed; but the fact of Marcia's TEMPER
getting fired early in the affair, although
she said nothing, determined her to
make those chickens pay for what they
mad; and when, one day, she brought
IN dozen great pearly eggs and laid
them IN triumph on her mothers Ian.
she felt that she had said great deal
But, those eggs bestowed, she allow
ed her mother no more. Great ideas
had entered her head. She came home
one day from long walk with a black
Spanish hen in her arms, for which She
had contracted debt to be paid in her
Houdln eggs. When, some six weeks
ffterWard, dozen curious little GALL
laceous specimens were running about
tine yard, Marcia watche / them with in
tense curiosity, and for weeks, if not
hontns, TO come, seemed to be holding
her breath. Not an egg of her Houdin
hens, however, did she allow to he ts-
Ken for pudding or cake; one basketful
OF them went to buying pair of youpo
Drown Leghorns, another basketful was
found to have purchasing power equal
tc securing pair of white bantams
ana then the Houdin hen, whose in.
ciinations had been seriously tempered
with, insisted upon raising a family of
her own: But Marcia felt very well
equipped, and she added only some pa
tence TO her stock in trade lust then
AT TOUR months old her brown Legboru
puilet lald an egg, and on that same
oay she brought one of her twelve chick.
ems INTO the house in a rapture-.it was
a black chicken with huge white ton.
knot. AA'o 'op-
My fortunes made,n said Marcia
. There are no fowl like these in oil
u Inls part OF the country. It's a black
ry book" '' - 'A'0 'i'i d
81 declare, Marcia" moaned her
Ilother, ~ believe you're insane abont
'nese miserable birds. You have NO
lme or thought for anv thing else
And here is all your music GOING to
waste" sung u {
how many years have been taking ,
essons, mammap''
how many years? Ever since vol, ;
we're born, was going to saw" ~ J
And | can't play page without NV :
lotes; nor then so that the comnosey a
Vouidn't run away if he heard me g. !,
THAT is the use9 Now | have found ;n n u .
mat I'm fit for. If only had some 3uue q
ort OF carpenters Skill ' s0-''e =
Well, | should like to know what . .
gu gu. want ', n: that n for in taking care Of Il
~ should think it would be of oho,. 81 81
) much use as embroidery" said En-. h h
Marcia always was so imnrac,ioo ~
~ sighed her mother '''i'A- er
!" What isity you want to do Marcia %, a.
ked Philip TOMS classmate wbo I'd Ia
ent half his time at the place WIN 10
. Just to make boxes and roosts and s Sh
,ehes for my hens, so as to k een s sn
--1e "f-o happy,you know" as