Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-04-04
Her Easter Hens.

they amt ready! This cold, damp spell
has sort of put 'em back, | guess. No
body seems TO be getting any eggs but
John Danlorn. Maybe he can Tell you
what the trouble is.
81 will try this new mixture, thank
you, Jason," returned Miss. Lefty crisp
ly. "You will be sure to send II this al
ternoon ?"
Eyes, yes 70 said Jason cordially, not
reminding her that it was not customary
for him to deliver quarters worth OF
iced. And ne turned back into the inner
office, where young man was moodlly
turning over the catalogues on the dusty
desk.
"ltseems pity to see Square Browns
daughter buying chicken feed by the
pound, John," he remarked, seriously.
"And I'm afraid them hens means more
| to her than we realize. But she's too
proud to let anybody know if she halt
starved!"
"Yes," returned John Danforth, "she
is too proud p
Lefty Brown walked down the street
YEARLY. The purse IN her handsome al
ligator bag was menacingly empty.
lust II cents after paying for the
chicken feed," she figured; land two
weeks before can draw the $40 interest
money. don't dare draw on the prin-
cipal-I don't darel II is so little, and !
may need it so much worse some other
time. If only the hens would lay !"
Tears of weakness and vexation filled
her eyes.
At the corner she deviated through a
dreary side street; not yet could she
bring herself TO 60 paStt the dear old house
where she was born, and which she had
been forced to leave that sad November
time when her fathers death revealed the
condition of his finance.
81 ought to be thankful" she reminded
herself virtuously, "that have the cot
tage, and the hens and grandmother's
legacy.
''If only the legacy were bigger, and
the cottage wasn't under the very shad-
ow of John Danforth's big house, and
the hens would not refuse to lay" she
amended.
An hour later, arrayed in dingy calico
wrapper, Miss Lefty went out to her
poultry house. The flock rushed noisily
to meet her.
"Yes, | have your supper, greedy
things" she greeted them; "but how do
you repay me2 have watered and fed
you all winter; shoveled snow to get to
you; never once forgotten YOU. Yet
you have not given ME eggs enough to
keep me from getting hungry! cannot
keep it up much longer; when this iced
is gone, shall begin roasting you unless
you do betterv'
After the fowls were made comfortable
for the night, Miss Lefty did what she
had done every day all winter-she look
ed hopelessly through the square wooden
boxes used as nests. In one, high up,
was small brown egg
"Oh," cried she, holding it carefully in
both hands, something for supper be-
sides bread and tea know II is worth
three cents Lefty Brown, but am weak
in my knees for something nourishing, SO
you keep still p
The little brown egg certainly put new
/ life into the heartsick girl in the old cot
tage. Early next morning she was out
in the chicken yard, working buSily.
Today" she remarked cheerily, "you
must lay two eggs; and tomorrow, four;
and the next-but mustn't get over Ia,
must |? Well, if you will lay dozen
every day that will make seven dozens
week, for you do not stop work for Sun
day. What wealth that will be !"
The weather had had changed, and the
day was sunny and still. AS she worked
about the house, Lefty listened hopefully
for some disturbance from the chicken
house. In the adjoining yard there was
an incessant clatter of shrill, cackling
voices, but her own was ominously. 81
lent.
q don't know as could hear just one
hen cackle above that racket, anyway"
she said, little spitefully, as she scat
tered the midday feeding over the sunny
ward. "Now, understand, | shall expect
two eggs tonight"
Very anxiously Miss Lefty gropeo
through the high nests that evening.
Again there was one little brown egg !
But she continued doggedly to inspect
each shadowy box. In the last one,
| down next to the little door through
which the hens ran to the back park IN
summer, her hand came in contact with
something that brought her heart to her
throat. Carefully, lingeringly, she placed
them in the feed pail : nine beautiful
brown eggsl
al do not understand" she murmured,
! wonderingly. at seems too good to be
true"
She even nodded kindly to John Dan
forth when she saw him pottering about
him own poultry yards.
81 wonder what he would think If ne
could know how many eggs am get