St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-14
How the ParsOn Set the Hen.


How the ParSOn Set the Hen.
The American Poultry Yard tells the
following amusing story A setting hen
| is perhaps the most unreasonable thing
in the world, or it may be that she is sad
| ly misunderstood, and is, if so, made of
the best martyr metal to be had. But
be that as it may, she has a very impO-
| lite way of sticking to her own Opin-
ion, and in so doing she often tries the
patience of many good people to "A de-
gree most unwarranted by Scripture or
common sense.
This sort of procedure on her part
often causes trouble, as was the case at
our parsonage not long ago. A middle
aged yellow hen who resides with the
parsons family, and who for some
weeks past has been dealing i'll eggs,
had chosen as her base of operations
one corner of the parsons carriage
shed. One day last week the hen ar
rived at that state of her business
when it is necessary to sit, which she
signified by the usual signs. This was
mentioned at breakfast by the parsons
wife, who advised that the hen have a
chance forthwith. But the parsOn
wanted that pant of the carriage shed,
and advised that she be set in the wood
shed. There was no use to eXpOStulate
with him. He was "bOss around here
and not the hen" After breakfast he
laid off his coat, took an old AK, and
after four hours chOpping and pound
ing he succeeded in converting on old
wheelbarrOw into what he supposed to
be a nest far superior to the one i'll the
carriage shed. Then he put in twenty
nice white eggs. 'There now" said
he, ~ could sit on that nest myself if
| were a hen" He then went to get
the hen. She pecked at him savagely.
He got the horse blanket and threw it
over her to save his hands while carry
ing her to her new nest. He dropped
her into the woodshed but she did not
see the nest. She only stood in the
middle of the shed and turned her
feathers all the wrong way and clucked
and squawked like a hyena in grave
yard. He showed her toward the nest
but she did not understand. Then he
got a fish-pOle and was proceeding to
direct her with it, when she darted
past his legs and out, and in three sec
Onds was at the old nest. He was pa
tient, and soon had her back. But
still she did not see the nest. He shut
the door and went for some shelled
corn. When he came back the hen
was gone. So he scattered some corn
around and in the nest among the eggs,
and then stopped up hole under one
side of the shed by which it seemed
she had taken her departure. He then
brought the hen back, closed the door,
put her down kindly, and flung some
more corn i'll the direction of the nest
For a moment the hen seemed reason
able. She picked up the corn about the
nest then she got up on one side of it
and tished ont the last grain of it from
among the eggs !; then she stood up
erect, shook her feathers nightly,
stretched out her neck till it was long
as a gOOse's, and to the parsons great
delight, seemed about taking posses
sion of the nest. But to his great dis
may she gave a scream that could have
been heard mile away, and then flew
out of a window ten feet from the
ground and did not touch the side as
she passed out. The parsOn restrained
his anger. He stopped every hole in
the shed which fly could get through
j He brought her back and placed her on
the nest, piled a whole armful of boards
over her and weighed them down with
"a stone as big as he could lift. Then
he locked the door and put the key i'll
his pocket, and walked off with that
peculiar feeling one has after gaining
a conquest. In about two hours he had
occasion to go to the carriage shed. AS
he passed the wOodshed he INDUCED in
ii cOngratulatOry chuckle, and was just
thinking how much better it was to be
a man than Il hen as he entered the
carriage shed, when he was greeted
with a defiant challenge from the hen
who was on the nest again and ready
to maintain her rights. He lost his
temper, picked up an old broom which
lay at hand, and pounded her off the
nest. She flew to the horse trough
and he followed. In his haste anC
wrath he made the horse break loose,
and he was soon gallOping over the
yard and garden. The dog began tC
bark at the horse. and a general melee
followed, which was taken part in by
: pigs, calves, chickens, horse and fami-
ly. In seven minutes there was not a
whole flower pot in the yard or a good
plant or vine in the garden, not tt
mention the other damage done. II
ended by the horse breaking down the
/, front gate and starting on a run fol
his old home five miles away. The
wife then proceeded to make some re-
marks which the parsOn was not very
interested to hear, and so he took his
hat and went to bring back the horse
When he returned he found new flow,
er pots in the yard, couple of boy:
were at work in the garden, Il carpen-
f ter was hanging a new gate, and in tn,
carriage shed sat the hen on larg,
nest of eggs. He paid the bills an,
remained quiet.