Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-07-03
THEPOULTRY SHOW.

lucy WtIt CWO 1OTlOTn chickens tlat
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 walking
abroad with the basket IN her arm. till.
as she went by, the neighbors were wont
,to'speak Of her as the poultry show.
But Marcia was sublimely Indifferent
to neighbors considering that they existed
only for the purpose of "borrowing" aud
being much more fond of dumb animals
than humanity, going about half the time
followed by her pets-a bird in her HAIR,
a parrot on her finger, cats purring round
her feet, and dogs bounding in her path.
She heartily agreed with somebody who
says a dog is perpetual baby: in the
house, never growing up and never tell
ing tales. OF course her brothers and
her superior elder sisters, and all 6e1
cousins and their confidential friends,
thought Marcia's last fancy was the worst
of all. "Those ridiculous Chickens" was
becoming family, watch-word. But
their condition on that cake of ice, as they
tloated farther and farther away from the
barn-yard that was home, rather touched
Marcia's heart, and she would have given
them her own breakfast, and would have
gone without every day herself, rathe,
than not have fed them. Although the
means at home were limited, still they
were not SO much so that the chickens
needed to. SO unfed but the fact of Mar.
cia's temper getting fired early in the
affair, although she said nothing, deter
mined her to make those chickens pay fol-
what they had; and when one day, she
brought IN a dozen great pearley eggs and
laid them in triumph on her mothers lap
she felt that she had said a great deal.
But, those eggs bestowed, she allowed
entered her head: She came home one
day from long walk with black Span
ish in her arms, for which she had con.
tracted debt tQ bespaid in her Houdi1
eggs. When, some six weeks afterward
dozen curious little gallinaceous speci
mems were running about the yard
Marcia watched them with intense curl
osity, and for weeks, if not months, tt
come, seemed to be holding her breath
Not an egg of her Houdin hens, however
did she allow to. be taken for pudding o.
cake: one basketful of them went to buy
ing pair Of young brown Leghorns, an.
other basketful was found to have pur.
chasing power equal to securing pair Of
y hite 'bantams, and then the Houdin hen
whose inclinations had been seriously
tempered With, insisted upon raising a
family of her own. But Marcia felt well
equipped, and she Fadded only some pa.
hence to her stock in trade just then
At four months old her brown Leghorn
pullet laid an egg, and on that same day
she brought one Of her twelve chickens
into the house in. rapture-it was 8
black chicken with huge white top.
knot.
"My fortunes made!'' said Marcia
"Fhere are no fowl like these in all this
part Of the country. It's black Poland
I read about them in the library, book
81 declare, Marcia" moaned her moth.
er, st believe you're insane about these
miserable birds. - You have no time OF
thought for any thing else. And here is
oAtypu@~lA0SAG goAAS tO-"dSoc' 1890 ---------~~'
Chow many years have l. been taking
lessons, mammal" -..----
Show many years2 Ever since you
We're born, was going to say =; 80.
"And I can't play a page without my
notes, nor then so that the composer
wouldn't run away if he heard me. Sc
what is the use? Now I have found just
what I'm fit for. If only had some sort
of carpenters skill &s'>=7-'t'A 2, |
ttWeil; i should like to know what You
want that for in, taking care of hens, :
said Bessie. .-..<.> -
"Ishould think it would be Of about a.
much use as embroidery" said Emily. 81
Marcia always was 50 impracticable |;
sighed her mother.
'sWhats ii It YOU want to 90, Marcia9'
asked Philip TOMS classmate,a who
spenthalf his time at the place. -. .s..
sJust "a. make boxes and roosts and
hutches for my hens, go as to keep them
wholesome and happy, you know, a,re
Wholesome and happy!'"' said hel
mother. 1870, ~ - - *azss'@ :
/ ss a.llVhy,, :yes,z mamma; p said Bessie. Il
should think there was really sense IN
that, Il there is any sense IN having the
%hs,ssru ~ III re <1nir- xU0for ia c1oan