The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-24
Baby Salmon.
lYonth,s Communion

Baby Salmon.
youths Companion.l
Bess, Lii, Nan and Greta stood ct the cor
ner wrapped snugly in their winter coats,
mittens, leggins, and nice warm hoods.
There comes an empty ice-sied at last"
cried Bess, pointing down the street.
1T only has one horse" observed the ten
der hearted Greta-
ut is splendid sleighing, and all the way
down hill to the pond. Besides, we don't
weigh half as much as a load of ice, argued
Bess.
"Here comes Mr.. Bridges double team,
right behind and it is ever so much nicer"
said Nan, the peacemaker.
All this happened in a very little town,
where every body knows everybody else, so
the teamster kindly stopped his horse as
four little figures rushed into the road and
began to Chamber up behind. He was quite
willing to carry such light load on his way
back TO the ice-felds.
"How did you ever think of such a lovely
plan, Gertie?'' asked Lii, clinging tightly to
the side of the sled.
"Ohl ] drove out to see them cut ice the
other day, and the road goes right past tse
6sh-hOuse, YOU know. j happened to think
what fun it would be for us TO go in, this
morning in school. That was what made
me miss my spelling lesson" explained
Greta.
The fsh-house, as Greta called it, was a
long, low building, rented for the purpose
of Matching salmon, with which the pond
above had recently been stocked.
1t was a tedious ride to the pond, but the
girls chatted like magpies, until at last the
new shingles of the hatching-house cleaned
through the pines.
Thank YOU, Mr.. Bridges!" chorused the
four, as the sled stopped for them to get OF;
and the driver promised to call for them on
hisretuTn.
After walking across little bridge they
timldly tried the first door in sight. 1t
opened upon an unfinished stairway, so
down they went. A long, low room stretched
before them. At the opposite end sat a man
reading newspaper.
Its Mr.. Bealel'' whispered Lii, delighted
Mr. Beale put down his paper, and came to
meet the girls.
He would show them how things worked,
or let them look around themselves, he said.
IL was agreed that after he had explained
few shiDgs to them they might take tour of
inspection alone
The water from the pond runs in here"
showing them a spout. "Then il flows
through troughs on either side OF the room,
through strainers, then over and under the
wire frames the eggs rest on" He stopped
and lifted cover.
How pretty" said Nan.
Such lovely colorl' exclaimed Lii.
What are they" asked Bess.
Eyes, they are salmon eggs, assented Mr..
Beale. DO you see the tiny black spots IN
each? That's the fish"
Exactly salmon color" laughed Lii.
did the color name the fish, or the fish
name the color?'
What is the white egg?" asked Nan, max
ing good use Of her eyes.
THAT egg is spoiled" said Mr.. Beale, TAX
ing it out with one hand, and lifting a Sec
ond cover with the other. Look closely,
and you will see the fish coiled up in the
egg, he continued.
Yes. there they were, plainly visible under
the transparent she'll The backbone was
slender black line, and a dot showed where
the head would be.
''Ughl The nasty things See them wrig-
gle!' shuddered Greta-
In the next row was something stranger
yet. The eggs had become little fishes-baby
salmon, lii called them.
The egg isn't all off yet, is it?" inquired
Nan.
/ Not quite" reblied Mr.. .Beale. "rhe
little salmon-colored pouch on the under
side is the yolk, and contains food for the
fish until it is large enough and strong
enough to get its own living. The sac is used
up in a month or two, and then we put them
in the pond"
"How do they SWIM" questioned Bess.
Il can't see that they have single in."
Mr.. Beale laughed. 1.-The single fin that
YOU don I see is there, nevertheless. IL sur
rounds the whole body and divides it at the
proper time"
What good time those girls had. running
| Indian-file in the narrow walks What fun
| it was TO hold their fingers under the gush-
| ing spout!
How proud they were when they found
out all by themselves that the strainers were
made TO keep the eggs safe from frightened
little fish which the swift water brought in.
At last the time to go came.
Mr.. Beale completed their happiness by
giving to each three of the pretty eggs placed
| in a tiny glass bottle, filed with water.
'Put the eggs in a shallow dish, be sure to
change the water every day, and you'll soon
have some baby salmon Of your own" were
his last words.
Out of the dozen eggs nine healthy little
fish were reared.
After the tiny sac disappeared, the shall
low dish failed to hold within bounds the
restless little fish, which would jump out.
So one day four little girls in solemn pro-
cession walked slowly to the brook with the
three remaining fish, which by this time
had all their fins, and were more than an
inch long.
1--WE are obliged to. in order to preserve
their lives" Lii explained.
All that summer nothing could persuade
them to taste the tiniest morsel of salmon,
for, as Nan expressed it, 81 wouldn't want
to eat my fishes bit more than I'd like to
eat my dolls" g. c. S.