Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-23

4
| 1t is very easy to say that the deco
rative mania leads our women. to waste
| time and to deface crockery and other
objects. Instead of thus ridiculing those
whom we should treat with the utmost
tenderness, why do we not take them by
their respective hands - fgurativelY
speaking, of course-and lead them into
| fields where their passion for decoration
can be exercised in way that will be of
real benefit to the racer That this can
be done has been practically demonstrated
| by Mr.. Simeon Brewster, of West Mid
| dletown, Mass, and his example deserves
to be held up to the imitation of his fell
low men throughout the country.
Miss Sophonisba Brewster has for some
| time delighted in decorating the family
china-including the preserve-jars and
the porcelain-lined preserve-k kettle. Mr..
Brewster regarded his daughters labors
with great disdain, but, unlike most men,
ne knew that ridicule would be OF no
use. Whether he had in view the train
of consequences which followed his sug-
gestion that SophOnisba should decorate
''our new rooster" or whether he merely
mentioned the rooster" because he ina
| gined that his daughter would regard the
bird as beneath her notice, is not positive
| ly known, but in view of the fact that
his daughter believed the proposal to be
made in perfectly good faith, and pre-
pared to carry it into execution, we may
assume that he made it with full knowl.
edge of what would follow.
The term "rOoster" is, as every one
knows, applied in the New England dia.
lect to the male fowl of the chicken va
riety. Mr. Brewster's poultry yard at
the time in question contained but two
fowls-the new ''rooster" and veneras
BILE hen, and hence did not yield large
daily crop of eggs. Miss Brewster, in
accordance with her fathers wishes,
firmly, so as to prevent him from strug-
Cling, decorated him with admirable
taste. Her first operation was to paint
him a rich, dark blue as a background.
Upon this she spread designs in white or
golden grasshoppers, pure white lilies
and arabesques of mingled gold and
white. The appearance of that fowl
when completed would have drawn tears
of admiration from the most hardened
naturalist He was simply magnificent,
and when he had surveyed himself in
mirror thoughtfully provided for the
purpose, he expressed his own apprecia-
ton of Miss Brewster's work by tri-
umphant crow
The bird when turned loose in the yard
soon became the subject of unrestralned
admiration on the part of the hens of the
vicinity, who came to the fence and peer
ing through at him, remarked to one an
other in cackle too plain to be misun-
derstood, "Isn't he just too, too, too, too,
too utterly utter?" Noticing their ad.
miring glances, the decorated fowl few
over the fence and strolled down the
street, followed by his enthusiastic
adorers. He returned at dark in COM
pany with twenty.seven hens, all of
whom had evidently sworn to follow him
to the end of the world. The hens oc-
cupied the Brewster woodshed during
the night, and on the next morning laid
two dozen eggs in various available
localities on the Brewster premises
In the course of the day the owners of
the hens appeared and carried them
away, but before night the decorated
''rooster" went forth and brought back
a new harem of thirty four fascinated
hens, all of whom furnished the
Brewster household with eggs on tho
next morning. Once more the neigh
bors came for their missing hens, and
having discovered that the decorated
Brewster fowl was irresistible in the
eyes of the females of his species, no less
than five leading citizens induced their
daughters to follow the example of Miss
Brewster and to provide their fond
parents with blue and gold ''roosters-"
The new rivals of the original deco
rated "rooster" were sufficiently gor-
geous to retain the allegiance of their
harems, and three of them challenged
him to single combat, and whipped him
so thoroughly that the discouraged bird
persistently remained at home and
Stunned all female society. Mr.. Brew
ster, however, was not discouraged. He
sent to Boston for a game cock of de-
mOnstrated prowess, and on the arrival
of the fowl MISS Brewster decorated him
in the POmpeiian style, with black wings
and red body, picked out with geo.
metrical figures in dead gold. Thus
decorated, he was far more beautiful
than his predecessor, and Mr.. Brewster,
after keeping him shut up for few
days, turned him loose, armed with
pair of long steel spurs.
That night the game cock returned
home at the head of procession OF three
hundred and eleven hens. In fact, as
was afterward learned, there was not
six hens left in the whole township who
had not yielded to the fascinations Of
the gallant Pompeiian stranger. Further
more, he had fought and killed thirty
"roosters" who had rashly ventured to
defend their marital rights, and among
the dead were the five decorated ''roos-
ters," the work Of the pious daughters
of West Middletown. Mr.. Brewster
now reaps an average of hundred eggs
every morning, and though the neigh
bors constantly come and take away
their hens, the Pompelian game-cock
never fails to lure them away from their
duty few hours later.
Thus we see that woman's fondness
for decoration may, If properly directed,
be made a source of much profit to in
tellIgent and upright men.
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