Evening star., 1897-02-06
THE DUCKS MESSAGE.
A Story to Which No Amdavit. A-e
Attached.

A Story to Which No Amdavit. Ar.
Attached.
Ringgold, La., Letter to the Philadelphia Times
Berry Hins on, living below this ,place
down In the ''pine woody region. Is a
hard-working. fairly prosperous farmer.
Five years ago the Hinsons were a very
happy family, consisting of Berry, his wife
and one son, Joe. About this time Joe. a
steady, easy-going lad of eighteen or twen-
ty. suddenly disappeared. All efforts to
trace him were unavailing. Some said he
was drowned, others that he was murdered
but the most diligent and faithful search
failed to reveal his whereabouts.
parents IS w9rsag ge1su,r of no5a IT, while M both
used every means in thtif bower to @ aseer- @
tain news of him. fronp thedfrst Mrs Hin
son expressed a firm fhelief that the bow
was alive and we'll, abd Would one day
have passed she has persistently clung to
her belief, though not Sne &ord came from
Joe in the meantime. &. Il
Last November. during the latter part of
went out to Lake Bisteneau' duck huntns
Though ducks were Plentiful and eyery-
body else In the crowd Filled great numhars
OF them, Hinson. usually. fine shot. PLAYED
to hard luck. and whefi THE last day of The
hunt came hadn't bagEed a Bird.
If were you, I'd save Iiiy ammunition.
Berry" said one of the party, seeing Hin.
sen road up for a shqf just rs they were
preparing to break camp and return home.
Just this one for luck" was Rerrv,s
answer, as he pulled the trigger. and one
lone duck dropped from his mates into the
water
Let it alone old fellow; it's only one, and
we've got enough to divide.'' said his
friends, seeing Hinson in the boat ready
to paddle out for the duck.
NO, was the answer. TN get 1t and car
~ 1t home to the old woman just for luck. -
The rest Of the story sounds like fiction.
terestng.
Hinson captured his game, carried 1t
home and that night when Mrs Hinson
was picking the duck she found a small
glass bottle. hermetically sealed and tied
to the birds wing, comfortably stored away
underneath among the down.
Breaking the seal Mrs. Hinson found a
small bit of paper within, on which, with
joy and wonder that may be better i'm
agfned than described, she read the words
Tell mother to kill turkey and bake
some potatoes for me Christmas I'm COM
ing home. joe"
OF course, this marvellous little episode
created a great deal of cogitation and com
ment in the neighborhood, and everybody
was one the qui vive for the coming of
Christmas. wondering If the recreant Joe
would be as good as his word so miracu-
lously given. - -.---.
- 70 hSeuiSSs " say tldl IL tHere were
any doubling Thomases, Mrs. Hinson was
not one of them. With true mother in
stinct she prepared the fatted calf, SO to
speak. and though Christmas eve came
without Joe, she killed the biggest gobbler
on the place and robbed the potato bank
of its sweetest yams for the morrow's bake.
The end sounds tame so true to story
book tale Is 1t, for when Christmas day
came. just as dinner was ready to go on
the table, in walked joe a big, bearded
man now, but reJoiced to get home. none
the less.
He says he captured the duck on one Of
the Wisconsin lakes last summer, and while
he wrote that note and tied it on the bird
j istfor fun" he has ever since had a
vague feeling that his mother would re-
ceive the message and be expecting him