Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-09-28
SpOOpendyke's Hen Coon.

broad grin on his face, s'say, my
dear, I've bought some chickens so
we can have fresh laid eggs. Look"
and held off a couple of pair of fowls
tied by the legs, for Mrs. Spoopen-
dykes contemplation.
"Well, upon my world" exclaimed
Mrs. Spoopendyke. "Of all things?
chickens! Ever since we've been
married I've wanted Chickens and
she approached the birds cautiously
and with a look of misgiving that be-
lied her words. "Where can we keep
them?"
SIN a coop, Mrs. S~poopendyke, in
q coop!" retorted her husband, lay
ing the chickens on the bed while he
Invested himself of his coat and vest.
"We might keep 'em up the chimney
Or in the clock, but We probably
won't. Well just keep 'em in a hen
coop, and I've got the laths and mails
down stairs to build it with. Come
down in the yard" and MI. Spoop-
endyke grapped his new acquisition
by the legs and started off, followed
by his wife.
''Do you know how to build a.
coop!" asked Mrs. Spoopendyke, as
she watched her husband dig a post
hole in the corner she had reserved
for a geranium bed.
eff 1 don't you probably dol"
snorted Mr. ~Spoopendyke, kicking
away at the spade until he loosened
his leg. "Now 1 put this post here
and that one there. Then the two
fences make the rest, and 1 only lath
up these two-dod CAST the post!"
he concluded, as it toppled over on
his ear. "Can't you hold it up!
What're you sitting around there like
a cork in a jug, for? Hold it up,
will ye?"
Mrs. S~poopendyke grasped the post
firmly with both hands and held it at
an angle of thirty degrees.
"Now hold it perfectly still while l
dig the other hole,'' and Mr.. Spoop-
endyke hacked away at the ground
again and set his second post.
Il see what you mean," giggled
Mrs. Spoopendyke. "You slat it up
from n post to the other and then
put the chickens in. Ny! how nice
that will be-"
Mr.. Spoopendyke glared at her a
moment and then began putting up
his laths, standing between the posts
and the fence corner and whistling as
he worked.
"Now,' said he, as he finished,
"what do you think of that?"
Mrs. S%poopendyke examined the
job critically.
"It's a perfect ~palace!" she ex-
claimed, ''but say, dear, how are you
going to get out?"
"Yah-h-h!" roared Mr.. Spoopen-
dyke, bounding into the air. "Why
didn't We tell me? What'd We want
to let me build myself in like a num-
my for? Amt ye got any sense at
all anywheres? Why didn't ye watch
what 1 was doing?" and Mr.. Spoop-
endyke grinned horribly through the
stats.
81 supposed you were going to
build a hole in it, faltered Mrs.
Spoopendyke.
$50 1 ami yelled Mr.. spoopen-
dyke, jamming his leg through the
structure.
"Want any more holes?" and he
kicked the side half way across the
yard. ''Four chickens, four holes!'
he reared, and the Stats flew in all
directions. "Want any nor holes?"
and he smashed the roof out with a
spade. "Holes constantly on hand!
II you dent see the hole you want,
ask for it," and he blew out the end
with terrific energy. "New goods
coming in at all times! Secondhand
holes a speciality" and he banged
out the other end. "Parties wanting
holes to send in the country will con-
suit their interests by applying here
before going elsewhere!" and he
ripped down the rest of the coop with
prodigious clatter. "Want any more
holes in this particular coop?" he
roared, w~renching out the posts and
slamming them across the yard.
"Does this hen coop begin to convey
the impression of having a hole in
it," he demanded, stalking up to his
wife.
"Yes, DEAR" replied Mrs. Spoop-
endyke, soothingly. "I'm so glad
you got out, but where can we keep
the chickens now?'
keep 'em!" ripped Mr.. Spoopen-
dyke, with a horrible ordnance, and
grasping the wretched fowls by the
legs, "who's going to keep 'em?" and
he cut the lashings. "S'pose Pm 60
ing to II my business just to graft
fy every whim of a woman?' and he
jerked the chickens into the air.
"Never mind" cooed Mrs. Spoop-
endyke, as the last bird slid over the
fence and disappeared. "Chickens
are a nuisance anyway. We really
don't need any"
"Why didn't you say so before 1
bought emf" blurted Mr.. Spoopen-
dyke, as he dashed into the house.
II didn't know it," sighed Mrs.
Spoopendyke, looking around on the