Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-03
THE POULTRY SHOW.


They were two forlorn chickens that
landed at the foot of the garden, where
the river ran, Iast 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 a basket, and
gave them the air on fine days by
walking abroad with the basket on her
arm, till, as she went by, the neighbors
were wont to speak of her as the poul-
try show.
But Marcia was sublimely Indifferent
to neighbors, considering that they only
existed for the purpose of borrowing"
and being much more fond of dumb
animals than of humanity, going about
halfthe 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
growing up and never telling tales. OF
course her brothers and her superior
elder sisters, and all her cousins and her
confidential friends, thought Marcia s
last fancy was the worst of all. Those
ridiculous chickens" was becoming q
family watCh-word. But their condi-
ton on that cake of ice, as they foated
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 break
fast and have gone without every day
herself, rather than not to have fed
ft,A hon
were limited, still they were not so
much that the chickens needed to go
united; but the fact of Marcia's temper
gettlng fired early in the affair, al
though she said nothing, determined
her to make those chickens pay for
what they bad and when, one day, she
brought in a dozen great pearly eggs
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 one day
from long walk with Spanish hen in
her arms. for which she had contracted
debt to be paid in her Houdin eggs.
When, some six weeks afterward a d0z-
en- curious little gallinaceous specimens
were running about the yard, Marcia
watched them with intense curiosity,
and for weeks, if not for months, to
come, seemed to be holding her breath.
Not an egg of her Houdin hens, how
ever, did she allow to be taken for pud-
ding or cake; one basketful of them
went to buying pair of young brown
Leghorns, another baskctful was found
&c have purchasing power equal to Sc
curinga pair Of white bantams, and then
the Houdin hen, whose inclinatiOns had
been seriously tempered 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. Al four months old
her brown Leghorn pullet laid an egg,
and ON that same day che brought one
OF her twelve chickens IN the house in
a rapture-it was black chicken with
a huge white top-knOt
MY fortunes made' said Marcia
There are no fowl like these in all this
part of the country. It's black Po-
land-I read about them in the library
book"
Il declare, Marcia" moaned her
mother, 81 believe you're insane about
these miserable birds. You have no
time or thought for anything else
Aud here is all your music going to
waste"
How many years have l been taking
lessons, mammal"
How many years Ever since you
was born | was going to say"
And | can't play a page without
my notes, nor then so that the COM
poser wouldn't run away if he heard
me. So what is the use? Now | have
found Just what Pm fit for. If only
had some SOFT of carpenters skill"
"Well, l should like to know what
you want that for in taking care of
hens" said Bessie.
& should think it would be about of
as much use as embroidery" said
Emily.
Marcia always was so impractica-
ble!' sighed her mother.
"What is it on 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 so as to make
them wholesome and happy, you
know"
Wholesome and happy" said her
mother.
"Why, yes, mamma" said Bessie.
20 should really think there was sense
in that, if there is any sense in having
the things at ali. If their water is clean
they'll drink more, and if everything is
10 their non-mind, OF course they'll lay
more
.s'ii. sses :s l;s;:rs PRaase"
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 infrmity; see the
old maid aunts-"
"The what"
Really, now, you remember those
two common sitting hens | bought to
hatch out some of the top-knot eggs?
And one brought out brood, and the
other lost all hers? Well, the one that
lost hens 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 it 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