The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-08-22
sUNFLoWERs AND CHICKENS.
How Little City Girl Enjoyed "a sum
mer on Farm.

HOW Little city Girl Enjoyed sum-
mer on Farm.
Flossy put on her big shade hat,
tucked an old atlas under her arm, and
went skipping out behind the summer
house where she kept school with half
dozen sunfowers for pupils.
Now, darlings, she said, demurely,
seating herself on an old footstool she
had lugged from the garret, and open
ing her books with business-lilse air,
hold up your boo-tul yellow heads
and say your goggerly nice, and maybe
I'll give you a nice sprinkling'
"Now, Ethel Rose, tell me how big
around is this world or hem-and-spear
on which we live composed Of? asked
Flossy, pretending to read, but repeat
ing fragmentary bits of the lessons
which brother Ben studied aloud even
ings ut home.
This was Flossy's first visit to the
country, and She enjoyed the freedom
of Il large yard, and her daily romps
with Rover in it, but when he went to
the field with the men, she amused
herself with her school.
Es, ats yight,' said Flossy, com
placently, as Il sportive breeze danced
around the summer-house. making the
sunflowers nod their heads brisllly.
Next said Flossy, turning a leaf
Daisy Browneyc, how many wivers
does it take to make gulfcrbay?"
AS to what a gulf or bay was, Flossy
hadn't the slightest notion.
just here the recitation in geography
was interrupted by loud and energetic
"Clucll, clucl1 cluclls, accompanied by
a chorus of gleeful Peep, peep peeps. "
schools 'smissed" said Flossy. slap
ping her book shut and looking expect
antly towards the currant bushes from
whence the sounds came. Presently
there appeared large, mothcrly brah
ma with feathers considerably rumpled,
who, upon seeing the little school
ma'am, stopped suddenly on one foot
and gave warning 'chir-r-r-r," +" peering
meanwhile at Flossy with first one
bright eye then the other.
The peeping chorus instantly ceased.
A luclIless emerald-green grasshopper
jumped off the currant bushes and land
ed plump in front of old biddy herself,
who forgot her fear at once, pounced
upon him, then held him triumphantly
in the air, calling loudly "cook-coool1-
| cutterout COOKBOOK" " until II brood of
downy chicks huddled under her bill,
all stretching to get the dainty lunch.
r Flossy's wonder grew into amaze
ment. Springing up, overturning the
stool in her haste and causing old biddy
to utter startled "Ca-dar-cut!" she ran
into the house, dragging her sunshade
after her by one string, burst into the
sitting-room where mamma and auntie
were quietly visiting over their work,
and exclaimed:
80 mamma, auntie, come quick!
There's a lot of yellow pompons out in
the yard; they have got legs and are
running after an old hem"
"Bless the child! Have you never seen
chickens before?" laughed auntie, get
ting piece of bread and following her
excited little niece out of doors
"Will they be big hens some time,
auntie?" asked Flossy watching them
tumble over each other in their eager
ness for the crumbs Occasionally old
biddy impatiently scratched in the grass
for more, kicking her small family in
all directions when they got in under
her feet.
But, auntie, they haven't got tails"
and after a moments pause, 'and there
isn't any place for one"
"Come again next fall and you will
find the missing tails in their proper
places in full and regular standing"
laughed auntic as she returned to the
house and her sewing.
Suntlower school closed for long
vacation. Almost any hour in the day
Flossy would be seen with a basin of
wet meal and spoon walding about
the yard with the eager and expectant
chicks behind her
ITS well she gives them plenty of
exercise" said her mother, smiling, cor
so much feeding might result in indiges-
tion or the gout."
Before glossy had returned to her
city home, the tails had all sprouted in
fine style.-Carolne Moshcr, in The
Advance.