The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08
MASSON'S REMARKABLE HEN,
or Wonderful Longevity, but Her Memory
Wns Her Masterpiece.

WINS Her Masterpiece.
HAAiMoNDspoRT Oct. Linn Masson's un.
forgetful old hen is dead. and there 10 great
mourning around the Mason vineyards. The
hen was priced not more for the great age she
had reached for a hen than FOR her marvellous
memory. Ten years ago sho was set" for
the first time. and on duck eggs. She Matched
n nice brood. OF which she was exceedingly
proud. The Mason farm and vineyards are In
the town of Pultney. overlooking Lake Keuka
When the ducklngs were a few days old the
young hen mother wandered with them
toward the lake. The ducklings no sooner
came in sight OF the water than they todd ed
toward it.unmindful OF the calls Of their mother
or her great distress and agitation.
They plunged into the water and went at
once to the full enjoyment OF their natural
element The hen and down along the
manfesting her distress In many ways. But
the duckllnGs paid T.. no attention to her and
water By, and by. seeing that no harm came
TO her tender brood from their contact with
down. aud it was not long before she seemed
to be enjoying the antics Of the ducklings in
the lake as much as they were themselves.
She watched them intently, occasionally ut
tering low and contented clucks, until at last
the, ducklngs were satisfied with their sport
led them back home again, Every day after
that the hen took her brood to the lake bright
Sporting the water With as p TGne ends ns@
Of enjoyment Of the scene as actions could
give She continued to take daily pleasure 10
occasionally strolled down to the water and
watched wat he'd them for an hour or so as they swan
the next spring The hen was set on eggs
It down + ne lake She seemed to DO sur
ter the water. and tried all OF her henly pow
ers OF persuasion on them to induce them to
ask. n Se shS ri ssa Ing
plaintively protesting little thing into the lake.
the os ssGd until snf it the . q
one of her brood and dropped that into the
as the irst one had. Such per peTy oSwnss
s smeEe and ne h"n and she grabbed third
evidently determined to tumble the s Who S
nndutitul brood into the lake, When tho owner
Of the hen, who had been a witness OF the incl
mother with the remainder OF her family back
to tho house and shut her up.
brood Of chickens until this year. and every y
one Of them she had taken to tho lake as soon
Ss .s GSnd get there with them and
rage and made the ' s%@e et ses sane &c
first brood of duck ings seemed to be o sw eat
one to her, and her disappointment over fall
tuG " nave ~ TeHliZeu again. from what she
evidently supposed was contrariness on the
s part Oh he e. subsequent broods. seemed to be
maternal love. SO she had to be watched so
mat her chicks might be rescued In time. 1t
would seem that a hen that could recollect
70 well should have been able to discover
me , difference between ducks and chickens.
but she never did.
Last spring the hen. grown old and some
what lnllrm did not show her customary Ia
clination to set. and she was regarded as a
worthy ,pensioner. and had tho run OF the
place. Late In the summer though. to every
body's SURPRISE she was seized with ali the
ssy y q the setting hen; and would not
dozen duck eggs in the house. and the CON
!!raIy old hen was set to hatch them. She did
IN due course. and promptly marched with tho
brood to the lake. as had been her wont for
nine years. The ducklings. OF course. pumped
Into the water without a IN oment's hesitation.
; me old hens delight at this is said to have
,os indescriha6l". What she had been pining
m Smbiy 10 eybsrloEed In fact the Joy was too
aiter returning from the lake with her brood,
0he mad waited long. and died happy.