The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-24
|, ABIjAH BLAISDELL'S HEN
, II Was Not the Wi5ow Who Gave Way.
Ey Susan HRoWN ROBINS.

0VCVSVVSSVFVvVV vVVVVVSVVVVSVS
ttShe's the most remarkable hen in
the country. I know she doesn't look
it. No, she'd never take a prize at the
cattle show. She amt, so to speak,
pure blooded. Some folks would even
call her monerel, but I think it's more
respectful to refer to her as compos-
ite. Why, she knows more than some
men and most women" and Abiiah
would gaze admiringly at his solitary
fowl.
"You'd think she'd be lonesome,
would yoa? Well, how about me? O,
no! we keep each other company. I
don't want any better companion than
Belinda, and she never fiads bit OF
fault with me.
Did I ever tell you how it came
about that she was left here all alone?
Iou know I used to keep hens. T had
those three houses full. They didn't
do we'll, somehow, and one Wi lter when
grain was extra high and the hens
didn't lay an egg, I got disgusted and
vowed I'd sell off the whole lot of
them.
''Well, a hen man came along, and
he aud went out and caught the
hens, and an awful squawking and
dust they made, too. When the man
had paid me and gone of, I felt pretty
good.
<sBut just as T turned to go into the
house 7 heard a little noise, and there
came Belinda picking along es nice as
you please. was mad, and I told
her ther and there that she needn't
think she could get the best of me
taat way, and just as soon as I'd eaten
up-s mess of corned beef I'd just got,
~ kill her and have chicken pie.
-etShe looked up at me and craiked,
the way she has. She gives two OF
three craikes like an ordinary hen,
end then her voice kind of breaks in
q long, pitiful vail. It sounded just
IS if she said 900, don't!' if you'll
believe me, 7 said out loud to her, All
right, won't.
"cince then she's had things about
her own way. I was going to tear
down the henhouses, but Belinda she
likes to use all of 'e:n, so I didn't.
She always lays in the first one. The
, secoud one she has for dining room
and living room, and she sleeps in the
third one.
'sIes, it's some trouble to take care
OF them all. but as long as Belinda is
satisfied I don't find any fault.
LEY? You never saw & hen that
wou.u lay as she does. She hasn't
missed day IN six months.
'And it's funny thing, too. Ny
aunt Nancy came here on a visit and
stayed a month. Now, she hates hens,
but she likes eggs. Well, what do
You think? Ali the time she was here,
Belinda didn't lay single egg! But
she began again the very day aunt
Nancy went away. She knew what
aunt Nancy was just as we'll as did,
and she wanted to spite her.
"Why, T don's know bit I should
have got married before now if it
hadn't been for Belinda. but T don't
suppsse she'd like to have any other
woman around"
Thus would Abijah Blaisdell run on
about his hen, as long as any one
would listen to him.
The widow Millett, Abiiah's next
door neighbor, talked a good deal
about : hen, but in different strain.
She addressed hec remarks to herself
or to the hen, so no one was the
wiser. She hated hens in general,
and Belinda in particular.
''If you'd mind yoar own business
and keep on your own side OF the
fence, I wouldn't say a word, but I
won't have YOU in my flower beds.
Shoe! scatr' and she would shake her
skirts at the intruder, and with
frown on her usually placid face, chase
the hen of her premises.
cit isn't alone that you are hen,"
she would say again, as she sat at her
window and looked over across at
Abi. abs yard where Belinda could be
seen. But it's your being his hen,
and making him the laughing stock OF
the neighborhood. He acts just as if
you were person, and he seems to
have forgotten my existence.
''To be sure, he never did take
much notice of me, but there was a
time when I thought" here she
would break off and blush a little;
s'well, any way, should think you'd
be ashamed to make a grown man act
so silly"
As time went on her hatred of Be-
linda increased. There seemed to he
an irresistible fascination Cor the bed
in Mrs. Millett's garden, and nearly
every day found her scratching there.
II never did see hen that knew
anvthing," the widow would say
wrathtully, "and believe vou know
the least of any Of them"
She spoke to Abiiah about keeping
his hen at home, and he fixed up the
fence with that object in view, but
fences were nothing to Belinda She