The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-07-18
A PROBLEM OF EGGS.
What Happened in Our HOUSE,
When Prices Jumped.
Jane is a Very Determined Person and
ResoIved Not to Be Robbed. but Am
Man of Strategy--0ur ExPer-
iment with Chickens and
the Results.

meHr WIN CHICheHS uhS
E the Results. J.
Jane is very determined; almost too
much; in fact, l often tell her so; or
at least l often used to tell her So.
But when a lady is constitutlonally
determined-not that Jane is oDstl-
nate; l do not want to say thai LOT a
moment-but, as l say, when a lady Is
constitutionally determined, telling her
so amounts to little. if anything; H.
indeed, it is not a mistake altogether.
Now 1 am fond of eggs; not In the
way of affection, you will understand,
but as a matter of diet. Ever since
can remember have had two poached
eggs for my breakfast every morning
but Jane, being cry determined-not,
l repeat, that Jane is obstinate; | can
not make that too plain; in fact, l ad-
mire Jane for her determination; but
I keep this as a secret so that Jane
will not become conceited-but Jane,
I say again, being very determined,
brought me three morsels of sausage
| Tor my breakfast about a month ago.
and put the plate in front of me with
such an air that l swallowed my sur
prise and ate the sausage.
This was my strategy. AS l LOOK
back upon it l recall now that ate
the three morsels Of sausage with
meekness and sadness, n when Jane
brushed my hat that morning and
started me off to the Office | sighed but
said nothing. This also was my STRAIT
Ggy.
Not that l considered it strategy at
the time; except as l might have done
30 in an unconscious sort OF way; but
nil the same it was that subtle kind OF
strategy that is born in man from a
wish to let James have their own way
in everything (being, after all, only
women) and which is-and l speak
only after experience and thought
the only way to deal with matters of
the sort.
81 will not be robbed" said Jane,
butte unexpectedly to me that evening,
adding, 81 will not be robbed"
said nothing, which was my STRAIT
egg again.
"And when they go up from 38 to AZ
cents a dozen at one jump" said Jane,
81 draw the line" Adding, Yes, sir,
/ draw the line"
"Eggs?" said l.
Eggs" said Jane.
Adding
And that's all there is to it.
'"There's as much meat in an egg"
I began, "as there is in a quarter OF a
pound Of"
81 don't believe it," said Jane. 81
never have, from a child"
But sausage" l began again.
Jane took up the cudgels for sausage
with such spirit that l abandoned
that, and said no more.
The next morning. l had three more
morsels of sausage for my breakfast.
[ ate two and (when Jane was out OF
the room for a moment) l seized the
third lit firmly in my handkerchief
and placed it in my pocket. (Jane
likes to see a clean plate.) Before |
left the house that morning l ran up
to the spare room and put the sausage
In the bureau drawer. | was afraid
to throw it away on such short notice,
for | knew that unless the thing was
carefully thought out and accomplish
ed, Jane would know-I cannot tell
you how, but she would know-that
had thrown the sausage away. So
went about the matter circumspectly,
and didn't burn my bridges behind me,
for if the worst come to the worst, |
could still claim that l had eaten the
sausage, then sneak up to the spare
room and eat it, and have my con-
science clear.
The next morning | hid two more
pieces: by Saturday night there were
nine choice morsels in the bureau
drawer, and on Sunday morning the
storm broke.
have seen the time when | would
have eaten it before the display reach
ed such proportions, but when Jane
came into the dining room IN Sunday
morning with nine w~armed-up morsels
on my plate, | started on it with a
sigh. Jane let me finish it-Jane is
just and prides herself upon her fair
play-and then remarked:
L will not buy another egg until
prices go down. l won't be robbed"
adding, mot by anybody"
But why should they go up% L
said.
That's it," said Jane. There's nc
reason at all. Farmers grow their
corr just the same, and chickens
hatch and grow and lay their eggs
Just the same, and if that farmer who
brings our eggs thinks he can impose
on me, I'll show him different"
That night l had the doctor, the
next day Jane had a chicken COOP
built, and on Tuesday morning we had
eleven chickens and a rooster On our
property. All would have been as
merry as a wedding bell, in fact. ex-
cept for enc trifiing omission: the
chickens didn't lay.
On Wednesday morning l breakfast.
ed on a leather medal which Jane re-
ferred to (for purposes of identified
tion) as a "chop," and on Wednesday
evening | brought home a book entf-
tied The Poultry Fancier's Friend"
"Well?" said Jane, after had read
the book through.
"Oyster Shells" said I, putting on
my hat.