The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-22
THIS rs HEN TALK.

Among the many illusions concerning
the coming of spring, one gets confused.
We like to welcome Robin Redbreast,
Mrs. Meadow Lark, Sir Teal Duck, and
even the out-spoken Shide Poke without
having to read poems about them.
Amid all the joys of the season, how
ever, we are quite likely to fail to appre-
ciate the intense delight of the hen.
She is glad, filled to her busy beak with
exhileration. For she has broken loose
from the cold formality of her life In
the past few months and now airs her
frozen toes in the sunlight shimmering
on the old camp ground. Her shoulders,
long racked by rheumatism, now hump
themselves with enthusiasm, and anon
comes her rolicking song as she fearless
ly pursues her nomadic course about the
town. Little by little she assumes her
last summers status, lifts her feet high
er and higher, often stopping in her tire
less search for daily sustenance to laugh
with her fellow wives at the old Jokes
of their sultan He concurs in their
glee and, to show his appreciation, Of
fers battle to Brigham Young, who Is
entertaining his spouses on nearby ash
pile.
What amuses the hen most is that
her owner thinks she is helping to sup
port his home. The idea OF producing
eggs worth ten cents dozen during the
summer months and then, suspending
business, forcing an outlay at the store
of twenty-eight the remainder OF the
year, convulses. her with merriment
Like French actress, she is money
maker only when we'll managed. The
wielder of the quill has. been known to
get very worried when embrolled with
the animated bunch that produces said
Quill This would have been more ap-
plicable fifty years ago. The pastor, so
eloquent and charming, so apt IN ex-
preston has been often at a loss to know
Just what to say to cranky hen and
still retain his reputation. But In the
hands of farmers wife desiring
new gown, our friend is a better invest
ment than the famed golden goose. j
Well, the hen lays '"strictly fresh"
eggs for a few weeks, and then lays
much stress on setting. So this end,
though often pulled off lump OF coal,
door knob or other commodity by her
irate proportion who does not sym
pathize with her aims, she puts forth
all the passionate devotion OF her nerv-
GUS being She loves to draw apart
from The maddening crowd and in soil
tude dream of the obstruse problems
which only chickendom appreciates.
Strive to prevent her, neglect to furnish
her the requisite capital-and behold she
broodeth over her troubles, becoming SO
morose as to savagely peck the hand
<that feeds her.
At last your heart melts beneath her
pathetic look You fit twelve eggs to
her some morning and leave her to her
desire. And soon she proudly parades
the -four garden with her little heirs and
hens, telling them in expressive mono
tones the story of her life, of her strug-
giles. ambitions, adventures, failures and
successes. She draws from the soft
earth the resisting worm and bestows
him gratuitously upon her pensioners.
She guides them over the fields, showing
them how to gather in their youth what
men sow in their old age. She protects
them from the hawk, the dog, the street
car, and the deadly kid. One morning
these children awake to find themselves
complete strangers to their mother. With
naughty bearing, she forbids approach,
passing them without even bowling. We
are accustomed to think her too stern
as she neatly pecks her frst-born be-
tween the eyes. But reason tells us she
is wiser than some other mothers al
though it cannot be gainsaid that some
of her offsprings do become rather
tough.
Freed from family cares, the remand
er of the summer she spends wandering
over the mead and lawn, half-burying
herself in dust, staring open-mouthed at
the wonderful feats of the thermometer
and escaping from the angry neighbor,
keeping always good hours, mayhap she
waxeth fat. If so woe is hers, for her
death is decreed by council of those
who have been interested in her welfare
hitherto. A brave youth issues forth
with his Ratchet and soon she is tumul- !,
tuously completing life's fitful trip.
dead but not forgotten" should be
her epitaph; for as her prosecutors strive
to separate her well knit frame they
wish they had been kinder, unable to
strike back when imbued with actroity.
Still in the flesh, she verify avenges the
suppression of her spirit. Once they
had wished there was more to her; now
they silently gnash their teeth over her
+oodopo To he IN tho hens pOSitiOn l