Connecticut western news., 1883-08-08
THE OLD FLINT MILL" 1"

It was an old. unpainted, double sort of frame house. It stood at the foot of the hill-the beautiful, grassy, green, sloping hill, from whose side burst out one of the finest fountains in Ambleside Township. A compact beech-tree, double, too, like the house, stood just above the rock from which gushed the Till of pure water. Everybody called the house the "Flint Mill" It was nicknamed that in derision by the nelgh- bors, because every one of Deacon Flint's children lived there spell after they were first married. Folks said the old father put them through the ''tough- ening process" before he let them go out into the world.
 There was Abiiah and Amiriah, and Dorcas who married Sam Carmichal, and Peleg and Austin, aud Amaryllis and Amelice Isabel, and lastly, at the time we write this, there lives in the Flint Mill, Sebastian and Malcolm. Bassy is married to Mercy Howard, and Male to Linda Price, and two good women so different it would be hard to find.
 If want to sit down and talk about books, Linda Flint is the woman I want to see; but if am bothered about the yeast not coming, or the butter showing never speck after an hours churning, or the grease and lye not mixing and turning into soap, or the spot on kho of rats and mice, or the hen leaving her eggs unhatched, go to good, wise Mercy Flint and tell her how am an- noyed. She will smooth her fat red hands down over the well-ironed folds of her gingham apron and say, "Well, you're not the first one who's had that bother P
 Indeed, am glad that neighbors are not all alike. It wouldn't be pleasant. The variety of tastes is what makes them useful and helpful.
 For instance, 1 ran over to Mercy E one day last week with, Don't you think the> hen on the Plymouth Rock eggs goes off three or four times day and wallows in the ashes and sand, and she behaves just as if she didn't like the business of hatching! I'm afraid she's giddy and won't settle down to mother hood and its duties in womanly way What do you think, Mercy ?"
 She looked up at the clock with : '.Well, the brown loaf will be done il just half an hour, and then I'll run owe and give her a good basting if she de serves it.
 When she came the hen was in tn ashes and sand, kicking out this leg an' then that, Tipping her wings one at time with hustling, waltzing wriggl that scratched the ashes all up among her feathers, wallowing as with a sens of intense enjoyment, and making tn dust settle gri,yly on her very comb.
 ''Acts as if she was troubled witt mites; let's go look at the nest" sai' my neighbor. The nest and eggs wer creeping with mites had paid thre dollars for the setting, besides the ex press charges, and my face yisibl, heightened.
 ssEasy managed" said the heartsome little, willing soul; "wel manage, an, you Il have one of the finest broods il Ambleside- f you don't now"
 She lifted the eggs carefully into milk warm water, carried the nest out int the truck patch, emptied out the con tonts. swept 1t we'll, and poured som kerosene oil into the bottom of it all put some around the outside aud edge sprinkled little tobacco in the box, an then put in good, fine, soft straw, whi washed and wiped the eggs careful. then put little oil about the corner which the nest belonged, and replace it. When the hen had performed h. very necessary dust ablution, she r turned, craued out her neck, gathert her duds about her as if dreading tl mites, and with low Sos cloo clock r she stepped in softly, shook he self into proper setting shape, and settle herself, satisfied. Four days after eve chick came out, good as new, except on One egg did not hatch-it was as hg