Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-02

"Why, yes, mamma" said Bessie.
" / should really think there was sense
In that, If there is any sense in having
the things at all. If their water is clean
they'll drink more, and if everything is
to their hen-mind, of course they'll lay
more"
"Wnat absurdity, Bessp
mo, indeed, mamma" exclaimed
Marcia, impetuously. "You don't
know how human they are. You see
the lords and masters lighting for su
premacy; see the hens all picking on
the one that has an inirmity; see the
old maid aunts-"
"The what ~
Really, now, you remember those
two common sitting hens | bought To
hatch out some of the top-Snot eggs
And one brought out a brood, and the
other lost all hers? Well, the one that
lost hers tres with all her might to be
mother to the other hens chickens.
She scratches for them and ciucks TO
them all day long, gives the morsel in-
stead of taking 1t herself, will 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 be-
cause they will go under their mothers
wings, then in the barrel instead of
under hers outside,roost with 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?"
II never heard such talk, Marcia, nor
saw person with such low tastes.
can't conceive where you got Them"
cried her mother.
"Why, mamma" said Bees, "if the
Lord could make chickens, should
think Marcia might watch them"
ITS tirst-rate," said Phil. "What
else could they do, March %
Everything that human beings do.
They are jealous of each other, like
Mormon wives. Those that are not IA
vorites sometimes go to roost in the
middle of the afternoon, SO rs to secure
the place they want nexC their husban nd;
and he goes picking round with his fa-
vorlte till bed time, and then flies up
and knocks the others out of the way To
make room for her. What do you
think of that?'
ooh, pshaw ~
''It's true. And I'll tell you some
thing more. He thinks he knows how
to lay an egg better than the hen does.
And if there's hen that's dilatory he
makes nest for her, and gets into it,
and gets out Of it, and coaxes her, and
literally tries to show her how. Isn't
that human? Those husbands that
know everything. Ga, it's as good as
play"
II should think So"
"And IT, the first growing of little
young rooster, and the strutting after
ward-it's so exactly like the first long
coat of boy, and the strutting after
that"
Marcia, am ashamed of you, said
her mother. Il must beg to hear no
more such conversation"
"Now, Mrs. Thurston," said Phil, "Fm
sure saw you laughing. And as for
me, Pm going to make those boxes for
March. I'm Just as good a carpenter
rs Noah"
And so Phil went down into the gar
den with Marcia, ana there were days
and days of hammering, saving and
fitting; and Tom was going about full
of mischief, and Emily had her sewing
under the apple trees near by, and Bes-
sic came down to bring freshly-baked
tart, or some hot gingerbread.
"And I'm sure it's just like picknick-
ing" said Marcia "You ought to be
obliged to me for making such a pleas
ant occasion. And Pm awfuliy sorry
that we're almost through" And as
she uttered the last sentence, Philip
happ ening to glance down at her at that
moment from the ladder where he was
standing, her face suddenly famed no
as if a torch had been held before it,
and she turned and hid its color over
box of old nails that she and Tom an
age ago that seemed now-had taken at
school in exchange for pins, meaning
to sell them to the junk-man, but di.
verted from their purpose by one of
Mrs. Thurston's methods of persuasion.
Mamma always was the enemy of
enterprise" said Tom, when they found
the box. +" | suppose its 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 her
self into the deep grass there in the
shadow, and cried to break her heart.
That one glance in Philips face, that
swift instant, had served to turn the
whole earth on pivot to another issue
of life. 1t had, indeed, held up torch
before her, it had showed her that of
which she was unconscious before, and