Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-16
Kitty's Chicken
~ AN EASTER
m1U STORY
By Kate Woodbridge Miehaelis

Bv Kate Woodbridge Michaelis
Mrs. Perkins sat with her two
elbows on the breakfast table and an
open book before her. She was SO
Young and pretty that the headsnlp
of the table sat oddly upon her, ana
gave one the impression of chhd
playing lady" The thick curry
masses of her hair, recently short.
were with difficulty twisted and
pinned into a dignified coil. and all
about her neck and forehead. little
sunny rings seemed to caress the fair
skin they rested on.
As she read, the door opened and
tall, graceful woman came in, little
girl clinging to her hand. f
"Oh. Mamma. DEAR Mrs. Perkins
exclaimed, holding up her pretty cheek
for a kiss, Il am even more glad than
usual to see you. The mail has just
come, will you please take it and
answer these letters for me. Sometimes
| l wish we hadn't quite so much
money!"
| "Mothie," the little girl, 4 child OF
seven or eight, ran to put her arms
| about her mothers neck and Mrs.
Perkins returned the caress. The title
Kitty had given her made the pretty
creature to whom she had spoken
seem to be playing mother" as we'll as
lady" especially as nothing in the
child suggested the most remote re-
lationship. Kitty was plain, un-
deniabN so, freckled, snub- nosed
dy-skinned, but there was some
| thing attractive in the frankness and
honesty Of the little ugly face, even in
the simplicity of the stiff, stubbly hair
of a nondescript color, which stuck up
all over her head.
| MAY l go to town with you and
Mama, Mothie, and talk to my chick
en-man while you are in the shops?'
| Your chicken man." repeated Mrs
Perkins, drawing the little rough head
down on her shoulder, who is he? We
are not going TO the market this morn
! ing"
| oh he doesn't live in the market
He was my Santa Claus last winter
and now he sits in front of the big
shop on Washington Street, in his
egg, you know. l talked to him the
other day while you We're buying the
| new curtains, and he told me some
more about his little girl"
| sits in his egg! what do you mean
Kittykin?"
| He has feathers all over him, out
side" the child answered, very simply
but inside he is gentleman. He's
only make-believe chicken. He gets
out of his egg every little while, and
/ nann1p
watching him, he says peep and then
they all laugh"
kitty" exclaimed her mother
while the maid turned away to hide a
smile, "how in the world did you come
| to know such person, what was
Mary thinking Of" ...
| 1T was you, mother, l went with
you in the carriage to buy the Christ
mas presents, while Mama was away,
and 1 was tired and you told me
might run about, and fell, because 1t
was slippery, and he picked me up, he
was Santa Claus then, and he talked
to me that day, and then some other
ones-and he isn't a person. mothie,
he's gentleman"
How do you know this is the same
MANI"
| II heard him speak to boy, and
said, How do you do, Mr.. Santa Claus,
how is Trixy- true?' and he laughed,
and"
"Trixy- true!" interrupted the two
listeners. together.
THAT IS his little girl, but some-
times he calls her Star, and"
| STAR"
| princess Fair-star, he told me the
story, and poor little"
| Two pairs of eyes met above the
child's head and the elder woman
answered an unspoken question.
! Probably q servant who lived in
the house, my DEAR"
But the servants never heard those
names!" .... =
| Servant" Kitty cried, Indignantly.
why do you say that, Mama? said
my friend was a gentleman, he is only
a chicken-man on the outside. mothie.
He is not a servant, love him!"
| kitty" her mother cried, but Miss
Thornton drew the child to her and
kissing the little angry face, said
soothingly.
Don't be cross, darling, tell us
about the chicken-man and his little
| girl mother and Mamma want to know
the people you do, always, perhaps we
could do something for your friend"
| ooh, you are so nice, Mamma" the
child exclaimed, remorsefully. I'm
very sorry l was cross, but he is so
nice, my dear chicken-man, and he
does, love his little girl so dearly-she
is all he has in the world, and she can
never walk or run, because somebody
fell down stairs with her when she
was a little bit of a baby. That's the
reason he was a Santa Claus. and
asked him are you chicken-man lui
the same reason?' and he said, yes
because Trixy-true was very sick a
little while ago, but now she is better.
but she never comes out of the room,
and she never, never had a little girl
to play with her, and l do want so
much to see her, Mothie!"
| We might send her some flowers
for Easter, Beatrice?" Miss Thornton
said
| ,"Of. course, and you may go with us,
Kitty. this morning. and talk to the
4 L. .~>&