The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-26

hair, and Of such brilliant. beautifui
bun. The buff Cochin heard the en-
vious, ill.natured remarks Of her mates.
and her heart was often sad.
such q stump Of tall" said the
pert white Leghorn chick. I'D be
bobtail outright II couldn't raise
more respectable tail than that"
And ,uch q ridiculous comb" smiled
the black Minorca. whose bright RED
comb hung over like 4 plume. For
my part I admire the rose combs. If one
isn't a Minorca."
The man who feeds us says she
pays for her keep in looking pleasant
crawked the motherly old white hen,
who had raised SO many broods OF
fne chicks that she was on the PEN
sion list. so to speak. and she told the
truth.
There was n commotion In the yard
when Buff laid her first egg.
Chanticleer sat on the edge OF the
box and warned the hens that a friend
of his was engaged In a serious and
delicate operation. and must not be dis
turbed.
Buff bore her honors meekly as she
Jew of the nest at last with a modest
announcement that she had done her
duty as a patriotic citizen Of the yard.
but her friends took up the strain so
loudly that the mistress came running
out. 1t was almost n golden egg. 50
large and yellow. and she carried II
in TO show the family.
"Bless the bird. We must save every
segg for q setting" was the unanimous
verdict, and the cracked blue dish
was set apart in the corner Of the cup
,ocrd for the purpose. The buff Coch-
In Is by far the finest fowl We have
The fowls were more than ever en-
vious, rs every day the fine, yellow egg
was carried TO the house with such
care. The mistress picked up the pref
II golden pullet one day and caressed
her. and instead Of fiuttering and re-
belling against human touch. the gentle
creature leaned her head against her
arm. and crawked away as prettily Us
II she was saying real words.
"She Is telling us that she Is trying
to be a good biddy. and that she ap-
preciates NIL We Go for her." said the
daughter. laughing.
1T Is foolish. know. 10 get so at.
tached to a little. senseless creature"
replied the mother. stroking the glossy
feathers: "but how can one help II
when It is so evidently living up to the
very best Of its knowledge and ability?
II only humans would do Us well.' and
q sigh escaped her. for she had way
ward son. and her heart was often
sad.
1t was not long before the buff Coch-
In began to feel m impulse to do the
strangest thing which had ever entered
into her experience.
Instead Of going up on the roost with
the other fowls at night. she only
wanted to sit quietly on the nest where
she had laid her eggs. To be sure.
there was only a cold. white china
egg there: but she brooded over il. and
lowered 1t carefully. clucking softly.
and in the morning rufiiing her feath-
ers warningly when the other hens at.
tempted to share the nest.
The bun Cocbin's feathers rustled
and quive-ed with maternal JOY. and
she spread herself out as II she already
felt the down brood under her wings.
The mistress came ont with the blue
china dish piled high with the golden
eggs. and the happy fowl clucked soft
" as one by one they rolled into the
nest in place Of the ugly imitation
egg.
Ah. but she was faithful. Day and
night she brooded and watched. and
might have starved ut her post had not
the mistress taken her from the nest
for necessary food and exercise.
In the next block lived the widowed