The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-22

with eggs much higher than they have
ever been, and-oh, well-what's the use %
Much use there is" said Peggy" spur
ing up. People have to look to their
side of the question, and who wants to
| spend all they have on something to eat?"
| well, l wish all that class would
starve to DEATH" said the butcher acri-
moniously. why don't folks rail
about something worth while, like the
| epidemic of measles or whoopng
cough? That's much more interesting
Instead of that they just try to worry
thought 1 had the cattle out in my
back yard and every time l killed a
COW 1 said to myself. s
| t"I need a new pair of shoes, and
so this week l am going to ask
cents more pound for beef"
| Then. if we don't blame you for
the high prices, whom should we
blame?" asked Peggy, innocently.
why, the folks that raise the cat
tie of course" said the butcher high
| ly delighted to be able to give us
| the desired information. do you know
| how much corn is a barrel? Do you
know how bran sells per ton? Ger
tainly not. And yet you blame me. I've
never been an anarchist, but if this
talk keeps up about the high cost
| of living I'll"
1.-TWO pounds of porterhouse steak
cut t-h-i-c-k," said Peggy.
WHAT" asked the Infatuated
butcher
Thick and tender" reiterated Peg
gy, paying no attention to the grouchy
butcher or my restraining arm laid on
hers.
The steak was cut and wrapped up
and handed to us, and we started Oh
in spite of the growls that were ema
mating from the butcher as we left.
Il am surprised at you getting into
such an argument" [ said to Peggy.
Don't you know that when a gentle
man has "a cleaver near at hand, dis
erection is the better part of valor? One
more suggestion from you and the story
OF Virginiuss would have been re-en-
| acted right then and there with your
little self in the principal feminine
role"
ITO tell you the TRUTH" Peggy said,
II feel real sorry for the poor thing.
He seems very much misunderstood
person."
lust then we stopped at the egg
mans stall and Peggy asked:
How much are eggs?"
what sort of eggs?" said the mo-
rose looking person i'll The rear of the
arrangement who eyed us cynically.
"Why-hen eggs, of course" said
Peggy.
And fresh" L chirped up.
Forty cents a Dozen" WIS the nom
chalant reply.
| Neither of us said word. and the
egg man Indignantly declared:
You can buy eggs from some folks
at 80 cents dozen, but / don't favor
last years eggs. Even Mt 40 cents a
| dozen they are cheaper than meat.
Three eggs made into an omelet will
| feed four people at breakfast, costing
| 10 cents. Where can you get meat
| for that price? The meat people are
the ones that ought to be boycotted
not us!'
why don't the hens lay like they
| used to and then we wouldn't have
to pay so much for eggs?" suggested
Peggy.
| "Hens are the contrariest creatures
| in the world" sighed the egg man.
"They are worse than women folk, and
nervous women folk at that Why,
I've seen 'em in the winter and late
spring like we are having this year
| refuse to have the word egg men,
toned in their hearing. I'd heap rather
| Try to raise ostriches or whinoceroses
| than hens"
4 I'VE are always reading in the news
papers," said. Peggy, looking at me
quizzically, about people who make
fortunes out of eggs"
| lilies! lies! shouted the egg man
in stentorian tones. MADE out of whole
cloth by folks that amt got nothing
better to do. People that raise hens
| spend a fortune on EN- and then seeing
they ain't no money In 'em they eats
em up, and when the last one is
gone they Just go to work and starve."
"Three dozen eggs" said Peggy with
tears in her eyes, and whispering to
| me, declared that If she had to go
without frocks she would help this poor
man!
As Peggy counted out $l.20 TO him
he fairly grinned all over and muir
INJURED something about lit looking like
rain and hens hated rain"
IT always thought the hen a most
commonplace creature" 1 remarked as
we left the market, but this per-
son we have been talking to makes
me think that she is quite temper
amental. And right here let me say.
Peggy, after this you had better let
your cook do your marketing for I am
firmly convinced that you are entirely
too tender hearted to hear the piNful
stories that these fakirs put up