The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-15
THINK OF THE SETTING HEN.
And Know What Mystery OF MYSTERIES
She Is.
Boston Erening Transcript.
She Is.

and while any one of them would
easily whip any chicken of any other
brood, when they fought with one
another it seemed to be a fight to the
death. The peaccable gentleman de-
precatcd these contests very much .
but he was powerless to prevent them.
What could make them fight so?
by and by village tradesmnn who
happened to be at the place one day
noticed the chickens, looked at the
gentleman who owned them, winkcd
broadly and remarked, Raising games,
eh?' Raising what?' asked the
humane gentleman. "Why, game
fowls, returned the other. '"Gamc
fowls? What can you be talking
about?' said the gentleman, getting IA
little ncttled; why, [. never thought
OF such thing - "Wcll, them's
game chickens, just the same, said
the tradesman. \ light dawncd on
the humane gentleman mind. The
proclivities of the men of the house
hold from which he had purchased the
sitting eggs had indeed led them to a
partiality for game fowls, and by inno-
Gently buying bakers dozen of eggs
from the woman Of the house and set
ting them under hen he had uncon-
sciously embarked in the business Of
keeping fighting cocks. He sacrificed
the brood as soon as they were big
enough to broil, and found them most
excellent eating; but it is doubtful if
he will ever get up reputation in
that town as prevcnter of cruelty to
animals.
The following true story is sent by
lady: Out in quiet corner of the
garden, in two barrels lying on their
sides, sat two expectant hens patiently
awaiting the happy day when the joys
of freedom, SO dear to their hearts,
should be enhanced though sharing it
with nesting, pceping brood Of
downy darlings all their own. What
lover of hens has not seen, during
these periods Of peaceful anticipation,
the tender glcam of the eye, akin to
that of the human dreamer, aud the
expression Of gravity, revealing a
latent sense of coming possibility
and trust which steals over the habit
ually ipamoble countenancc Of the
much maligncd hen ?
The hours Of the long, bright spring
days slowly ran their course, and half
Of the allotted time of waiting had
been uncompiainingly endured by one
Of the pair, while her ncighbor had
just entered upon her term of enforced
seclusion, when one night fierce
tempest swept down upon those two
humble dwellings,. The wind and
rain came with such terrific force that
it seemed nothing short Of mountain
could withstand it. The next morn
ing we fastened to the spot, prepared
to find utter ruin and dismay, instead
of which, to our great surprise, We
found the frail hsbitatious still stand
ing. Moreover, they were still ten
anted, although there were unmis-
taxable signs of hardship and suffer
ing having been heroicly met by those
two stout hearts. On closer examiua-
ton, however, we found that singu-
lar thing had happened. During the
confusion, the panic caused by the
storm, the two had lost their heads
not literally, as we had at first feared
and had mistaken their own nests;
each was occupying the home Of the
other, SO that the hen who knew
nothing of the fatigue Of long watch
ing became usurper, while the other
was in danger Of becoming quite dis
couraged at finding her hopes indef-
'nitely deferred.
One can better imagine than de-
scribe the evident surprise and delight
of the usurper when at the end of
only week and half of sitting on
her part eight little, downy, fluffy
balls Of warmth and mcrriment briskly
tapped their way into the sunlight and
nestled close to the maternal bosom.
Whether the other then received her
first intimation that something was
amiss we never knew; but after wait
ing little longer the conviction that
in some way she was victim Of fraud
seemed to take complete possession Of
her. She could endure the suspense
no longer, and one morning, seeing
the joyful matron passing by ir all
her full blown pride, surrounded by
her appropriated blessings, she in
gloriously forsook the eggs and fed
to unite herself IN her riphtful oh;l