The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-02
UNMATCHED CHICKENS.


"Well, boys" said Uncle Amos, as he
looked around at the little group that
had, as usual, collected around his
chair in the corner of his shady porch,
80 you went II story, do you'll
think, this afternoon, | will give you q
page out of my own experience, and
perhaps the lesson that learned may
not be lost upon you.
when was a little chap, about as
old as Walter there, / lived in the
country, and one day my father pre-
sented me with pretty little white
hen. Now, my boy, he said, you can
make her u house, and feed and take
care of her, and all her eggs shall he
yours, and l will buy them from you,
Il was very much pleased, but / said
to myself Il will not sell my eggs:
mean to raise chickens So whenever
my hen laid an egg put it away, until
l had ten, and then made her a nest
and put her upon them to set. In q
little while | reasoned, Twill have ten
chickens, and just as soon as they arc
old enough TO lay eggs | will let them
set upon ten eggs apiece, and that will
give me an hundred chickens. Then
can afford TO sell some of them, and
will have all the money that want IL
spend Oh, how rich l felt.
Every day would go and look al
my setting hen, and please myself by
imagining all the things that wonld
have when found my pockets full OF
silver. No harm in that you will say
No, not the least harm. But wait.
II went over one afternoon to spend
an hour with Jimmy Foster, one OF my
sehoolmates. He with lot of boys
was just going shooting with theii
bows and arrows. How / wanted to
join them, but had no bow. Theirs
had been bought ofsome Indians-but
l had been away then. and when
came home the Indians had gone, and
every boy of our set but myself had d
fine bow, and all were wild about
archery. Jimmy seemed sorry for me
i tell you what, Amos he said, my
brother John has an Old bow and arrow
that would just fit you, and he told me
that | could sell them for half price to
any boy that wanted them
But, i have no money! | COM
menced, and then a bright thought
struck me. = Oh l said, would you
take couple OF young chickens fol
thenr
" Two chickens he answered, that
would not pay for Them Three,
then, said, eagerly Three pretty
little specified chickens. | think that
is fair Offer
Well, he suid, 4 will take them.
When Will you bring them over|
They are too young to leave their
mother yet | answered, for | was
ashamed to acknowledge that they
were not Matched
All right he said, 'talfe the bow.
and bring them over when ii suits
YOU
This suited me exactly, and went
home, after n delightful afternoon,
the hnppy possessor of IL bow and
arrows.
'Ihe days passed on and several
times Jimmy said to me, Why don't
you bring the chickens over, AnlosY
and each time l answered, 4 will as
soou as they are old enough but had
not the courage to tell him that they
were not Matched.
.At last, one day when he had said
that he would not wait any longer, as
] came home from school, my little
sister ran to me with Il distressed on,
brother Amos, she cried, MIR Browns
dog got through tho fence, and has
killed your little white hen, and broken
all your eggs, now you will never have
any chickens. ran to the barnyard,
and there lay the mangled body of my
hen, and the trampled, broken nest.
My trouble seemed almost too great
to be horne, but the bitterest drop
was, that | should have TO take back
the bow and arrow, and confess the de-
ception had practiced TO Jimmy Fos-
ter.
1t was tough job, for Jimmy was
not nice boy to deal with matters of
that kind, but had il TO do, He made
h.1f fs,1 I 20