The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-06-04
THE POULTRY SHOW.

They were two foriorn 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 OH
fine days by walking abroad with the basket
on her arm, till, as she went by, the neigh
bors were wont to speak of her as the poul-
try show.
But Marcia was sublimely Indifferent to
neighbors, considering that they existed
only for the purpose of borrowing" and
being much more fond 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 a perpetual baby in the
house, never growing up, never telling tales.
OF course her brothers and her superior
elder sisters, and all her cousins and their
confidential friends, thought Marcia's las'
fancy was the worst of all. "Those ridicu..
lous: chickens~ was becoming famil.,
watchword. But their condition on tina,
cake of ice, as they foated farther ant
farther away from the barnyard that was
home, had rather touched poor Marcia's
heart, and she would have given them her
own breakfast, and have gone without
every day herself, rather than not have fed
them. Although the means at home were
limited, still they were not 80 much so
that the chickens needed to 60 unfed; but
the fact of Marcia's temper getting fired
early in the affair, although she said moth
ing, determined her to make those chickens
pay for what they had; and when, one day,
she brought in a dozen great pearly egg
and laid them in triumph on her mothers
lap, she felt that she had said great deal.
But, those eggs bestowed, she allowed her
mother no more. Great ideas had entered
her head. She came home one day from 4
long walk with black Spanish hen in her
arms, for which she had contracted debt
to be paid in her Houdin eggs. When,
some six weeks afterward, a dozen curious
little gallinaceous specimens were running
about the yard, Marcia watched them with
intense curiosity, and for weeks, if not
months, to come, seemed to be holding her
Breath. Not an egg Of her Houdin hens,
however, did she allow to be taken for pud.
ding or cake; one basketful of them Wen
TO buying pair Of young brown Leghorns,
another basketful was found to have pur-
chasing power equal to securing pair OF
white bantams, and then the Houdin hen,
whose inclinations had been seriously tam
pered with, insisted 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 pullet lald
an egg, and on that same day she brought
one OF her twelve chickens into the house in
a rapture-it was black chicken with
huge white top-knot.
1My fortunes madew said Marcia
"There are no fowl like these in all this
part of the country. It's black Poland
read about them in the library book"
II declare, Marcia" moaned her mother,
II believe you're insane about these miser
able birds. You have no time or thought
for anything else. And here is all your
music gone to waste.
"How many years have been taking
lessons, mamma"
How many years? Ever since you were
born, was going to say"
"And can't play a page without my
notes, nor then so that the composer wouldn't
run away if he heard me. So what is the
use? Now have found just what I'm fit
for If only had some sort OF carpenter $
skill"
"Well. should like to know what you
want that for in taking care OF hens,' said
Bessie.
al should think it would be Of about as
much use as embroidery" said Emily.
MARCIA always was so impracticable!
ighed her mother.
"What is it you want to do, Marcia"
asked Philip-Tom's classmate, who spent
half his time at the place. ,
"Just to make boxes and roosts and
hutches for my hens, 80 az to keep them
wholesome and happy, you know.
"Wholesome 'ahc happy" said her
mother.
"Why, yes, mamma" said Bessie. 1" !
should think there was really sense in that,
if there is any sense in having the things at
all. II their water is clean, they'll drink
more, and if everything is to their hen
mind, of course they'll lay more -,
Marcia, I am ashamed of you,' said
her mother. II must beg to hear no more
such conversation"
"Now, Mrs. Thu, ,on," said Phil, I'm
sure I saw you la, hing. And as for me,
I'm going to make hose boxes with March.
I'm just as good carpenter as Noah"
And so Phil went down the garden with
Marcia, and there were days upon days Of
hammering and saving and fitting; and
Tom was going about full of mischief, and
Emily had her sewing under the apple
trees near by, and Bessie came down to
bring freshly-baked tart or some hot gin
sarhraad