The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
The AtdviSIn
Of Mr.. Jones and MIR. Brown


Browns in the chicken industry was en-
tirely unpremeditated. 1t originated in
coop OF ragged hens and one cock. sent
home from the grocery for the Sabbath
dinner. AS Mrs. Jones idly inspected that
coop of ragged hens and one cock, and
her egg crock sitting on the kitchen table
before her. the economic connection sud-
denly flashed into her housewifely mind.
Mrs. Jones was tidy little body, and un-
der her long calico slip apron hung tiny
pad swung by silver chain to its dragon
head. This pad she clutched spasmodically
and began TO scribble calculation; then
she gasped.
Hens had been known TO lay 300 eggs In
the course of year, and with eggs. say at
an average of 20 cents, it would make -
and odd per hen. Mrs. Jones felt faint
when she thought Of the crates Of fowl that
had been consumed in the Jones household
I'm the past ten years.
When the lord and master Of the Jones
household came home from the office in
the evening all this was duly unfolded. AT
first he was not greatly impressed; he was
hungry and besides the mullins were I'M
usually good. Then the germ Of economy
always dangerous TO the suburbanite De-
gan to take hold. The evening paper sud
denly lost interest as a procession OF egg
laying biddies began to march along the
line Of print.
Here. Clara" he exclaimed finally, give
me that pad. Sure you've got chicken-run'
henhouse, feed, carpenter, all DOWN. and
reaching over he took the silver dainty
from his wife's hands, while the newspaper
subsidized in crinkly pyramid on Thomas
the cat
The result was that in the course of a
week the astonished biddes and cock that
had Grained their necks out between the
Stats OF their crate before the grocery
foun1 themselves master and mistresses of
"A beautiful new chicken run at the rear OF
the Jcnesss cosy little suburban residence.
The nenhouse itself was wonder of hy-
riene: windows 10 the south, weatherboard-
ing TO the north. cement floor. tier on tier
of changeable boxes that could be taken
out and summed. And if those particular
hens were not a surprised flock of biddies
they should have been; they should have
enjoyed to the utmost their possession. for
their ownership of the premises was OF
very brief duration
With the chicken house complete. Mr.,
simultaneously the same thought struck
them: The chickens themselves were OBJ
viously not up TO the surroundings. The
grocery biddies were distinctly of the mon
grel breed. Their coloring did not suggest
the REORGANIZATION of selection. their legs
were inclined to warts, their bodies and
plumage lacked symmetry.
Little Mrs Jones, who held herself re-
for no r0ico
her thoughts. She merely enlarged on the
fact that in one of the nests. beside the
new china nest egg. lay real hens egg.
that she could guarantee fresh without first
trying in cold water. Mr.. Jones likewise
kept his thoughts to himself; however. ne
decided to remedy the defect He had no
idea Of sinking two s2O,bills for the physical
comfort of four 50-cent fowls.
He surreptitiously subscribed for chick
en- Journal. and with the wisdom of the
ten-years-married man brought the first
copy of 1t home in his overcoat pocket for
Mr.. Jones to find and demand. Then he
gradually led her mind up the ladder of
fancy breeding. and arranged for the birth
there of an ambition for higher things.
In place of the prandial conversation
taking the weather. fashions, births.
deaths and the doing of their own little
circle for topics, IL came to turn wholly
upon chickens. The respective merits of
Plymouth Rock. Dorking. Buff Cochins,
Black Spanish were respectively discussed
in the course of which talks astonishing
bits of information came to the fore. The
Joneses made the discovery that a hen,
while always necessarily hen. varied in
a wide degree in other ways. While one
breed will lay larger eggs. another can give
her cards and spades and beat her com
pletely OF the board in number. While
one variety makes an admirable mother
another is forced to be double-weighted tc
keep her mind on her maternal duties.
Before the interested pair omelettes. GUS
tards. puffs and angel cakes arose in be-
wildering Visions and with this vision COM
mon fowls in the chicken run had nothing
In particular to do. Mrs. Jones raked hel
mind for justifiable excuse to get rid OF
them; Mr.. Jones scratched his head with
the ledger pencil for inspiration. Finally il
came:
my dear" he said, a week later, to-
morrow is your birthday, isn't it?''
His wife beamed upon him over the chloe.
olate jug expectantly. Yes. George" she
answered.
ly. II have decided on little present thai
hope will meet with your appreciation
Clara. Perhaps 1 should tell you that its
form may appear to you something in the
need of economy, still trust that it may
really please YOU.
And from the window next day Mrs
Jones. in futter OF expectation. watched
the expressman drive up. She had learned
long since that Georges ideas in gifts were
often unconventional. On the first anniver.
sary of their marriage he had presented
her with a silk dress and a kitchen range
when the parlor was still without curtains
and they were obliged to move the tin,
Ice chest out the back porch to make
room for the immense new range.
As she stood. peeking out between the
dimity folds. the expressman unfastenec
the blackboard Of his wagon and lifted out
q square box. through the stats of one side
of which We're thrust the heads of thre,
squawking chickens. Mrs. Jones withdrew
her head hastily and gasped.
Mr.. Jones came home In the evening rub
bing his hands unctuously together. "well
Clara, what do you think of them? n,
more common fowls for US. my dear Cos
Just as much TO feed, and not half tn,
profit. not to speak OF the pleasure. Nov
these are the real things. Mr.. Brown and
have decided TO go into partnership. He.
TO have Dorkings. and I-ahem-we are {,