The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05

IT see boiy the papers, as Mr.. Dooley
would say, that DR.. Wiley has told the
| lowly hens real name" observed Peggy,
| few days ago, as she laid aside The
Age-H Herald, after perusing the news of
the day.
Don't you think it's time somebody
was telling her real name, when M. Ros-
tand has made her the heroine of his
drama, and all Paris is wild over every
| thing that savors of 'Chantecler,
| asked primly. Hats, gowns, shoes-ev-
| erything is la 'Chantecler.' It's enough
| to turn any hens head
But why DIR. Wiley's dissertation? Is
he in the chicken business?" demanded
| Peggy.
Certainly not, but he is the food ex-
| pert, and what he has to say about the
| hen cannot be much worse than what ex-
perts have said about the modern wo-
| man." 1 declared.
1.-THE distinguished gentleman's first
objection to the lowly hen is that she
| has gone over to the food trust" quoted
Peggy HE says that 10 years ago she
was a perfect lady; housewifely, mater
nal, gentle and kind. Then she was dis
tinguished for her industry; now she is
noted for her temperament"
Just as I remarked, it's enough to
tulii ally iiOH llcdo W Dc Ildu6 lIlc CELL
trail figure In a Partisan drama; besides.
I believe the hen was beginning to be
spoiled long before 'Chantecler' appear
ed on the boards" | avowed
DIR. Wiley thinks so, too" said Peg
gy HE says we've spoiled the hen to
death. She's been INDUCED too much
When she used to have to get out in the
grass and scratch for living. and roost
anywhere that night overlook her, she
was~a model of proprety. She had
great broods of chickens under each
wing, clucking to them Nike a good
mother and caring for them in all kinds
of weather. Besides, she kept the table
supplied with plenty of nice fresh eggs
while you wait, for II cents Dozen"
1T shall begin to hate the creature II
you tell me that she has grown stuck
up and naughty because eggs have gone
| up to IS cents a dozen." I averred with
much feeling.
| I'm those days she was virtuous, the
| humble associate of farmers and country
| people. while today she scorns the ides
of living outside a modern chicken coop
with the proper sanitary conditions and
| plenty of heat and light. AS for moth
| ering half a dozen chicks under her
wing! Poof! She turns her little head
up in scorn at anything so domestic
Thus Peggy. furiousy indignant at
such a state of affairs.
ITS just like people. though I re-
marked. Some of them are born as
poor as church mice, and let them get a
little money, and then they have no use
for their old friends. And as for asso
ciating with anybody but the rich, they
would no more do 1t than they would
hyn' 1 remarked. "They. like the low
ly hen, have forgotten when 1t was the
fashion to do on small incomes and take
care of their homes and families and dc
= ,o;A I,,t 10 tl,a 1att Of f1aa a M
Nov you know, l feel rather sorry
for the hens Of this generation" de-
cared Peggy sympathetically. Many
of them have never known a mother
They are incubator chickens, and never
had an older blood relative to set them
an example. They are housed and fed
and cared for like folks, and why should
mt they be stuck up. Who could expect
them to follow the example OF their
worthy ancestresses, the Plymouth
Rocks? ] don't believe incubator chick
ems are right bright
'"They couldn't be expected to be I'M
less they have the proper associations
of some of their own kind I replied.
Last summer l visited a country home
and early in the morning I was taken
out to see the chickens which my Cous-
in Tom had raised" related Peggy. "A
great storm came up while we were
looking at them, and we began to call
them and 'holler' for them, and do you
know that not one of those little fool
chickens knew what we were talking
about! I finally began to 'cluck like
mother used to do when we had lots OF
chickens down on the farm. but they
didn't understand. Then I 'clucked'
louder and louder; but still no sign of
intelligence from them. They just ran
about looking up in the air like wild
geese, and finally we had to run the
little things down and put them boldly
into the 'brooder.' So you see why
don't think they are right bright
"Of course they are not. Hens are no
more like hens of yesterday than we are
like our grandmothers,' I declared. IL
remember when I was a little bitty !
used to visit my grandfather. He lived
on a great big plantation In Mississippi
the kind you read about-and all of us
children used to play with the chickens.
I believe that every hen on that place
knew every child almost by its name.
even believe that If the old cook had got
sick and there was no one to get dinner,
one of those old dominecker hens would
have gone into the kitchen and cooked
a meal. They felt a sense of response
bility as 1t were, then that the hen of
today does not know the meaning Of"
DIR. Wiley believes that the modern
hen has talent-nay, even genius re-
|
edge that she has temperament Next
thing she will be having nerves. He
says that he does not believe in encour-
aging her Temperament. If 1t really ex-
lists. Higher education, he declares, is
as bad for hens as 1t is for women folk.
1t takes their minds off of the duties of
life, and they are good for nothing. He
declares IL a woman knows she can write
a sonnet she will never more sweep a
room, and that II hen realizes that
she can successfully play role in a
modern drama she will become stage
struck and refuse to do her duty as to
LAYING eggs and caring for her family"
'.Well, she doesn't do that In the Ros-
tand play at ALL" said. thinking It was
high time that the hen had someone to
sneak In her behalf. ''She does some
very lovely things. among which is when
Chantecler is stricken with the discov-
cry that the sun rises just the Same
whether he crows or not, and is broken
hearted at having some of the conceit
taken out of him, the little hen COM
forts him with her fabrications and low
ing ways She's been smart all along.
and has known that he wasn't the
ruler Of the universe. but wife-like she
has humored him IN his whims. She's
even been most forgiving when he has