The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-08-26
GRANDMA'S TURKEYS.


She Counted Them Before They were
Hatched. and Then Was Disappointed.
3 ooh. grandma, l am going to have
such nice lot of chickens to sell next
fall" said Emily Howe, pretty black
eyed, rosy-cheeked girl of fifteen, who
lived on a farm few miles from the
town of Waterville, in Maine.
Grandma Howe looked up from her
knitting, and said: Seems to me,
Emily, it's early to count your chick
ems; you haven't got a hen settin' yet,
hev you?"
''Yes I have just put thirteen eggs
under old Top-knot and mother says
may have all the chickens she matches
for my own shall take good care of
them. and about Thanksgiving time,
when they will be nice and fat, cut off
their heads, carry them to Waterville,
sell them to Mr.. Jones, that's where
father sells chickens, take the money
and buy me a red cashmere dress"
''Well, Emily, you hev got your plans
made agood ways ahead, but wouldn't
calculate too much on the chickens till
they are Matched; they may turn out the
same way my turkeys did once"
''How was that, grandma? Please tell
me all about it while I am resting. l
walked away over to Mr.. Porter's to
get the eggs to put under old Top-knot."
Ibid you, dear? Well, l will tell you
about my old white turkey.
"When was married we went to live
on the Springer farm, about twenty
miles from my fathers. Long in April,
in sugaring time, the year after was
married, told your grandpa I wanted
to go over to fathers to get some new
sugar-we didn't hev sany sugar-place
on our farmland see if mother couldn't
let me hev some turkey eggs to set
under one of my hens. Mother was O
good hand to raise turkeys; some falls
she would hev thirty to sell, and I
wanted to try my luck at turkey-raisin.
Your grandpa said we would GO the
next Saturday and stay over Sunday.
That he would get Mr. Baker. he lived
near by. to see to the chores.
$50 we went. remember what q
nice sleigh-ride we had. the snow had
gone away considerable. but we started
early in the mornin' before It begun 70
thaw, and lib, that was the colts name,
went like bird. o, dear me, il was
fifty years ago, but | remember just as
well how pretty the snow and ice
looked sparklin' in the sunshine. We
got over home before noon, and father
was goin' to sugar off that afternoon, sc
we all went to the sugar-place; there
was quite number of the neighbors
there, and we had fine time.
II told mother l wanted to get set
tin of turkeys eggs. She said I was
welcome to em, but like enough they
would get broken goin' home, and bet
ter take the old white turkey, that sh,
always Matched out a good brood, bu
she ginerally stole her nest, and It wa
considerable trouble to look after her
but I.was welcome to. her.
told mother knew could fin,
her nest, and II she would let me he,
the turkey ! would bring her two, o
| my ysller-legged pullets when 4 conn
over again. "a
'Your grandpa fixed box and pu
the old turkey in it, and we brough
her home. She seemed as contented a
could be, and in few days, when eh
snow was gone, she would wander of
into the fields and pastures, but Away
came to the barn at night. l though
it was time she was laying and huutet
in the barn and shed for her nest
After awhile she left off comm HON
nights, and then | knew she was Sc.
tin somewhere and thought it was il
the pasture back of the house, as sh
always came from that way when
called the hens to be fed, and as 500
as she was done eatin' she woul
go back that way. l followed he
ever so many times, but jus
as soon as she noticed me she woul
start up and fly and get out of sight y
hind the bushes and trees in no time.
hunted the pasture all over for that Of
turkeys nest. / knew If didn't An
the nest before she Matched, the littl
ones would half of them die before sh
got them home: little turkeys are yer
tender things. l noticed she alway
went in one direction, down toward I'll
brook, that was at the further side {
the pasture.
Zone day when she came to be fed,
threw some corn on the ground. seattle
> ing it about, so it would take her SON
time to pick it up. r)
"Then started for the pasture, ar
4 went along in the direction 1 had see
r her go, for some distance, then hid b
Y hind a stump. Soon saw the turke
e comm and she had passed me and WI
S almost out of sight. l stepped careful
!. ly along, keeping behind bushes al
stumps, so she would not see me if 81
i looked back followed along in that ws
d as much as a quarter of mile and begs
n to think she hadn't any nest, she VI
r just wanderin', turkeys are such ere
n lures to wander you know, but alol
d up by the brook she stopped by stun
where some bushes were CROWN roal
?. it, looked round and then crept unl
o the bushes. knew her nest v
4. there. and sure enough it was, vi
e fifteen great speckled eggs in it. s
il came right off the nest when shes
r me, so l had a chance to count 'em.
- ''Oh. grandma, wasn't you pleased
"a guess was, and l couldn't It