The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-11-30
Myssz,E 4; e ss ....,
{ &, l[lE Il; I
- >.kz-;-'~=s.>--s=. --"-S'--%~~-
A LEARNED TURKEY.

gone DN SlUct Tie tllouSullui hhN
been brought in squawking from the lane.
He had grown large and portly and carried
himself with dignity. Fortune, which
had appeared to him in the guise of Hilda,
had been very kind to him. He had been
permitted to share the lawn with an aged
peacock OF great personal beauty, from
whom he had learned gentle manners and
department. He had dined daily at the
kitchen door In the evening he had
stood near the doorstep, where Hilda and
,John-John was the farm servant-sat and
talked. Their conversation was not in
structive. They talked chiefly about them
selves and a cottage and love and other
foolish topics, but it afforded the turkey
food for thought. He would stand SOM
berly on one leg as the shadows deepened
and the stars came out and watch the
working of their minds.
at is plain" he said one evening,
''that they are thoughtlessly optimis-
tic"
He was watching them closely. John
had taken one of iIilda's red hands in his
brown hand and was looking particularly
and fatuously happy.
''When the corns in, Hilda," John was
saving, I'm ask the old man if we can
have the little wooden house"
"Hell be only too glad" said liilda.
II guess he's expecting it, - said john
'Itll be biz enough for us" said
Hilda
''For the present. said John, and
looked so particularly, foolishly happy
that the turkey turned away in disgust
He strolled across the lawn in deep
thought. Like all those who are solitary
or have the society only of interiors, he
had fallen into the habit of talking to
himself.
at is evident, he said, speaking his
thoughts aloud, that these two people
will marry. They will move into the
little wooden house. They will live
there They are such poor dull crea-
lures they will not even know they are
unhappy. They will have children and
in their fatuous way be happier still.
Poor things 1t is bad enough to be
unhappy and know it. How much
worse is the state Of those who are I'M
happy and think they are happy. Poor
things
He stood on one leg and thought.
The moonlight streamed down and
made silhouette of him in black shadow
on the whitening lawn. He stood there
for an hour, immovable; only his brain
kept turning, turning and evolving
thoughts.
at is really very ridiculous" he said,
'but can t think of any way Of putting
an end to this wretched state of affairs. |
am not at my best tonight"
'What seems to be the matter, y
asked the peacock, who came up, trail
ing yard of rainbow plumage behind
him.
~ am thinking" said the turkey
rather disdainfully. 1T is an opera
ton which will not interest you, my
friend
"Ah, perhaps not, said the peacock
"What were you thinking about? And
why were you doing wv
81 was thnbing," the turkey replied,
for he was always willing to talk. 81
was thinking, or, to he more accurate, |
was irving to think OF some way of
stopping this silly habit people have of
coming into the world, eating and 60
ing out of the world again, leaving be-
hind a certain number of 'understudies'
to use a phrase taken from the slang
Of 1.-THE theater-to repeat the ridiculous
operation"
$50 you've begun to think about that,
have you?' said the peacock laughing.
''Well, should think you would
''What are you laughing at ?" the
thoughtful turkey asked sharply.
"Oh nothing said the peacock; ''of
course you're interested in the question
Pm not you see,
"Well, don't see"
''You don't see? Well, you re partic
ularly slow witted, even for a turkey"
said the peacock
"Perhaps you'll EXPLAIN the turkey
rejoined sarcasticalIy.
Certainly" said the peacock, "why
not
$50 on, - said the turkey.
"Well, they come into the world, don't
they?'
"They do said the thoughtful turkey,
''though I've never yet thought to think
where they come from. I'll do it to-
morrow. Go on-people come into the
world"
''What do they do, asked the peacock,
with growing triumph.
what do they do? Eat" said the
philosophical turkey.
EAT what -
ooh, all sorts off,
'You!" screamed the peacock in a
burst of triumph, you! They eat you.
They pick your bones. They suck the
marrow out of your thigh bones Some
of 'em prefer white meat, and some of
l.. kI4