The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-10-22

closely, they all SAID about the same
thing, viz: II don't see but what they
look about like any other eggs, a leetle
larger perhaps. and different color, but
you know they don't pay any more at
the store for big eggs than for little
Ones" "Well, these cost more, and
you don't suppose that if these eggs
hatch and the chickens live to grow up,
I am going to sell the eggs at the store,
do your ooh, yes, them eggs cost you
more, of course, but you see there amt
nobody round here that will buy eggs
at that price" and their looks said
plainly The rest Of US amt such fools
as to pay twenty-five cents apiece for
eggs from any new tangled kind Of
hens" The matter was talked over at
the sewing circle, and Mrs. Slocum's
folly in paying ''such price" :sr eggs
was severely condemned. Mrs. Slocum
heard all about it, but she 'grinned aad
bore it, and prayed for sitting hen.
You needn't laugh; she did actually
pray for sitting hen, and am sure |
don't understand why one should not
pray for a sitting hen as we'll as for
daily bread. But even while she hoped
and prayed, and watched, she mentally
vowed that if those eggs ever did hatch,
and the pullets ever grew up, she would
sit up nights and cat the eggs before
one of "those women" should have a
single egg, unless she paid twenty-five
cents for it.
At last, the very last of May, to her
great delight, Mrs. Slocum found the
'old yellow hen," generally called
Dolly" the tam4st, the "best DISPOSE.
toned" and the oldest hen on the place.
on nest after the other hens had gone
to roost. Mrs. Slocum stroked Dolly's
back, and Dolly clucked. Now, when
Dolly clucked she meant business, and
Mrs. Slocum knew it; she at once put
the precious eggs in the nest (Which
happened to be on the ground, behind
some old barrels in the wood-shed), and
felt sure that if anything could get
chicks from them, Dolly could do it.
dolly" said her mistress, as she slip
ped the thirteen eggs under the mother
ly looking old hen; "you must hatch
these eggs. I don't know what I shall
do if you don't, for I shall never hear
the last Of my folly Mind now, I
shall depend on you" Dolly evidently
understood, for she settled down over
those eggs with an air of determination
which meant business and chickens.
| All went we'll for week, and Mrs.
Slocum counted her unmatched chick
ems every day, until the morning when
she found the Eighty black pulet on
the Brahma eggs and Dolly sitting out.
side the nest with ruffled feathers and a
bloody head. Evidently there had been
a fight. "You little black wretch" ex-
claimed Mrs. Slocum, wrathfully, as
she swooped down and lifted the pullet
from the nest. Such sight as met her
eyes! Instead of thirteen clean, light
brown eggs, she beheld mixed mass
of broken egg chips, dirt and feathers,
and the whole eggs were besmeared
with the contents of tho broken ones.
Mrs. Slocum was a mild tempered
woman, but she was mad then; so mad
that she didn't stop to consider, but
marched straight to the chopping block,
seized the axe and deliberately chopped
that pullet's head of; then she sat down
on the wheelbarrow aud cried. 'sHullo!
what's the matter?" and Jake appeared
in the shed. Now Eliza Slocum was
very much in love with her husband
when she married him, and she was in
love with him yet in spite of his some.
times "aggravating' ways; but just at
that particular moment she wished him
in Jericho, or some other out.of.the.
place. rather than in that shed. How.
ever, there was no help for it, so she
told him all she knew about the conduct
of that pullet, and her belief that the
eggs were all spoilt. "Well," said Jake,
slowly, II am really sorry, but 1
wouldn't take on about it. 1t can't be
helped now; and besides, don't believe
they would have Matched anyway"
ITO be Continued.)