The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-06

TO the wants Of the hen with jealous care.
Corn aud meal was always right under
ber bcak. and water in an old tomato can
stood so near that she did not have TO
leave her nest. Every evening when
he returned from school little Mike
maid visit 10 the hon TO SEQ
how she was getting along md
each time lie came he lifted the hen
r. an tho crrs TO see II there was life in
them This continued for three weeks,
urtil ono evening on opening the cellar
door he found two little ducklings with
n;eces Of she'll clinging 20 their backs
ineonjnc in the cellar The hen vas in a
ouandary The partridge eggs beneath
her were yot whole and she was divided
In her affection for the Matched and the
Unattached. She decided, however, to
continue operations on the partridge eggs
and few days later they, too, had devei-
oped into chickens.
The whole Finn family were so tickled
at the result Of the DoninicS hem Efforts
that they could scarcely contain them.
selves. Mrs. Finn insisted that the brood
should be brought up out OF the cellar
into the kitchen. Here the little part
ridges hid behind the wood box in fright
ened covey They were startled by the
least sound. and whisked out Of sight at
the raising of a finger.
FAX" said Mr.. Finn, rs he gazed upon
the punches of brown feathers darting
hither and thither over she floor, 'thlm
wild chickens hates the Dootch for quick
ness. Begorra, but they're fly Musha'
but they hav' no tGilsV
Don't freckcn yersel," said his wife,
they'll hav foine tails gin six wakes.
Mickey was so ticIilcd with his new
charge that he hated TO 60 to school. One
day he put two Of the cartridges In his
trousers pocket, and took them with him.
They got out of his desk when he was
called up TO the spelling class, and created
rreat excitement in the school. All the
children left their seats and confusion
preyailed until the wild chickens had ilown
out of the open window.
PART ".
And so the summer faded away into the
autumn. And OctObcrs chill breath be-
gan TO kill the leaves III Lindsley's Wood.
By this time the partridges had become
strong Of wing, and following their native
instincts made short excursions into the
fields near by. Mrs. Finn was in state
of constant fear lest they should not
come back, but every evening when the
pan of cornmeal was set out in the back
yard the cartridges and the ducks were
there feeding amicably together.
Thursday, Oct. 4, had been set apart as
day of feasting Mrs. Finn had decided
to kill six Of the cartridges on the preyi-
Gus evening, and Mr. Cronin, the as
Gordon player, Mrs. Doolan and her boy
Jack, Mike Murphy psd his wife, SlQ
who had never eaten the tcothsof1e wild
chicken, and Mike Welsh and the sharer
of his Joys and sorrows, had been invited
TO attend. 1t was decided after long
consultation between Mrs. OBrien and
Mrs. Finn that the wild chickens should
be served up in pot pie with appropriate
Accomplishments of sliced potatoes, sweet
mariory,. thyme, onions, carrots and other
herb and vegetable delicacies.
FINALE.
II was the twilight hour in the Finn
back yard, when the frogs were beginning
to croak and the whippoorwill over the
hill was piping his lay. Shadows OF the
evening were stealing across the SKY
Paler and paler grew the clouds, and over
against the horizon the outlines of Linds-
ley's wood were fading against the east
efn sky. Mrs. Finn and her boy were
sitting on the doorstep watching the par
tridges eat their evening meal and loath
TO begin the slaughter of the innocents
for the morrow's potpie, when across the
meadows intervening between the shanty
and the wood there came curious muI-
fed sound.
"Fhwat is that?' said Mrs. Finn.
ITS mesel doesn't know" replied
Mickey.
Again the sound came over the wide
reaches Of meadow land. 1t attracted the
attention Of the cartridges. They lifted
their heads from the pan of corn meal and
clustered together. The sound was like
soft beating on a mufilod drum. There
was a sudden movement among the part
ridges. then as one bird they rose into tho
air with a wlir which startled Mickey
and his mother TO their feet. Hudileo
close together in bunch, which could
have been covered by quilt, the part.
| ridges few. There was fleeing glimpse
Of brow. feathers, rush Of BEATING
wings an the shadows of the wood CLOSED
over the leeirg birds.
Mickey looked at his mother in wild
eyed establishment. Then he mar aged e
stammef out:
MN mother, the ould chicken called
the little waI.s. an they've gone homeV
Ernest Jar1oid in New York Evening
! Sun.