The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-13
THE JOY THAT KILLS.
Sight She Had waited For Ten Years Too
Much for Kelley MassOn's Hen.

Il am sorry to say that Kelley Masson's
long memoir hen is dead said Packy
Griswold Of Hammondsport, n. Y. She
was 10 years old and lived on keiley's
vineyard farm in the town OF Pultney IN
old Steuben.
.The frat brood the hen ever Matched
was from a setting OF ducks eggs. she
was very fond OF that first family Of hers.
and they were only a few days old when
she strolled with them proudly through
the vineyard toward the lake at the foot
Of the vineyard.
THE ducklings no sooner came in sight
OF the water than they toddled toward It.
unmindful Of the frantic calls OF their
hen mother or her distress They plunged
into the lake and were at once having the
time Of their small lives. By and by, seeing
that no harm came to her brood in the
water, the hen Quoted down soon
seemed to be enjoying the antics OF the
ducklings in the lake as much as they were
themselves. .
Every day after that the hen escorted
her brood to the lake and stood by and
watched them sporting in the water with
as plain evidences OF enjoyment Of the
scene as actions could give. She con-
tinued to take this pleasure every day
until the ducks were grown.
The next spring this hen was set on
esgs OF her own kind. Everybody about
| the place had forgotten the episode OF the
d~ucklinRs, but it Was recalled wildly
when the hen the very first thing she
did when she got about with her new
brood led it s%traightway TO the X
Her surprise was palpable when none
OF the family showed any disposition to
20 into the water, and she tried to COAX
them in. Not succeeding in that. she
picked up one of the chicks in her bill
and dropped in into he lake. She stood
and watched it's struggles in the water
until the little thing drowned.
THAT seemed to be a dis appointment
TO her. She pondered over the matter
a while and then picked up another chick
and dropped il in the lake. That chick Of
course struggled in the same way and
soon died.
temper. She grabbed another chick and
tossed 1t into the water and threw another
in right after il. She was evidently
determined to dump the whole disap-
nointinp brood into the lake, but her owner
thought the sacrifice TO the hens memory
had gone far enough and he rescued the
remainder Of the brood.
THAT hen matches a brood OF chickens
every year. Not once has she failed to
lead IT 10 the lake and try to get it to go
into the water, ending up by grabbing
a chick and teasing it in. when she would
be corralled and shut up again.
so Kelley Masson's long memory hen
came to be a regular thing to refer to
- Vha roOiOn uaG
giving the record OF the hen to "a New York
man who was in Hammondsport the other
day and he was anxious to go see her. as
II was about time for her to have another
brood on hand to exercise that memory
Of hers.
awful busy man just at that time OF year
and wouldn't care to be bothered will
taking anybody down to his vineyard
TO see the hen, but the New York man was
persistent and | went with him to the store
to see il Kelley would do i.
by jocks, Paeky., said Kelley; LIS
too bad. but you're too late to nave nm
see the long memory hen!
Whats the natter said ].
she's dead!' said Kelley. Died this
s'Noi said I. What killed her.
Joy. l think said Kelley. This
spring as a favor to her. she having been
disappointed 80 Many year,, iet nS' ha.'I
out a brood Of ducks, just as she had ter
"She tool EN- down to the lake. and OF
course they plunged right in and went
to having a jolly time ofIhand, II waf
q sight to see that old hen.
She ran up and down the shore " OF
three times. cackling with what was just
as plain delight as II il was me with news
that somebody had left me a million dol.
lars, and then suddenly she fell over. gave
q regular tickled to death wiggle and al
was over. Died Of Joy, Pscky, l do hon
estly believe!' said Kelley.
Amt that too bad?.
sHe seemed to feel 80 bad over it that he
couldn't say a word. At any rate hs
60 sorry over anything as p! do over the
death OF Kelley Masson's long memor,
hen"