The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-20
DELVING AGAIN INTO THE
 HIGH COST OF LIVING ]" Chat With Grouchy Old ButcherDeclares That People Are Going Crazy the Subject of Feed stuff and Prices Which, Observed Was Sufficient Cause.-The Egg Man" Defiantly Hurs His Prices at
 Us for Hen Fruit"
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLE

with eggs higher than they've been for years and years, and-oh! well, what's the use?"
 Much use there is," said Peggy. "Peo- pie can't spend all they've got on some thing to eat"
 "Well, I wish they'd all starve to death,' said the Grouchy Butcher. Why don't they rave and tear their hair about something else? There's the whooping cough and the Smallpox and Typhoid Fever and the Measles and the Chicken Pox. l wish they'd stop growing at me. They act like, they think I've got herd of cattle in my back yard, and every time I kill a COW l say to myself, Now here; I need a new pair of shoes, so this week I'll ask cents more a pound for beef and stick 'em' That's what they think
 If we don't blame YOU with the high prices, then who in the name of Heaven SHOULD we blame?" l replied ve hemently.
 ''Why, the folks that raise the cattle, of course,'' retorted the Grouchy Butcher. DO you know how much corn is a barrel? Do you know how bran sells per ton? No? Certainly not. and then you turn around and blame ME. I've never been an anarchist, but if this keeps up about the High Cost of Living I'll err CT"
 fTwo' pounds of Porterhouse Steak, please,'' interrupted Peggy, "cut
 "What?" demanded the Grouchy Butcher.
 'Thiclk; and I want it tender" said Peggy, paying no attention to the re- straining arm that I had laid upon her.
 We left beneath the inprecations and in- furiated utterances of the Grouchy Butcher, and as we got well out of his hearing, I said:
 I'm surprised at your nerve-getting into such a discussion. Didn't you see the cleayer near at hand, and all the in- plements of danger? One more sugges- tion from you and the story of Virginius would have been enacted right before our very eyes with your little self as the Leading Lady Couldn't you seer"
 q am sorry for the poor man. I believe he is much misunderstood person." said Peggy in her chicken hearted way
 Just at that moment we approached the Egg Man, and Peggy, regaining assur- ance, said glibly:
 How much are eggs today?"
 What sort of eggs?" asked the Egg Man cynicaily
 Why hen eggs, of course" said Peggy laconically
 And fresh.'' I interpolated.
 Forty cents a dozen,' said the Egg Man.
 Neither of us spoke. and presently the Egg man said:
 "of course, you can buy eggs from some folks at 35 cents a dozen, but don't sell last years eggs. Even at 4o cents a dozen they are. cheaper than meat. Three eggs made into an omelet will feed three people, at breakfast, and that is only 10 cents. What sort of meat could you get for 10 cents? The Meat people are the ones to be boycotted, not us"
 Have the. hens gone into Trust?" asked Peggy noncha lantly, just like that "lf they would lay like they used to we wouldn't have to pay as much as we do for eggs"
 Hens Is the contrarest Critters in the world, said the Egg Man. knowingly
 They are worse than women folks and nervous women fol, at that Why. I've seen them refuse in the cold winter times and the> early spring to have the word itGG mentioned in their presence I'd heap rather try raising Rhinoceroses ar ostriches than dinged old hensr'
 We are always reading in the news papers about people who make fortunes out of raising hens." said Peggy. pathet- ioally. es'' pa''ie'- E Lies, Liesl Eevery one of ,e,,,.. snouted the Egg Man, made out of whole cloth bv folks that alu't got no hstta.. sense than to believe it. Peonle ,bat raise hens spend a fortune on Ion, a,,l then when they see there ain't no nona,. Tn ein they eats em up, and when tl,e iast one of em is gone they just go to work and starver' so 'o a lhree dozen eggs, please" said pepp,, With tears In her eyes. and declared that 1t nearly killed her to pay out sucb a :, amount Tor those inanimate. list,ess things 'StieSS
 As Peggy counted out s1 20 to him. inc Egg Man fairly grinned all oyer himself ana murmured something abont "It.s rain ''"'e
 "I always thought the hen a most con,- nicnplace creature" I remarked as we left the Egg Man, ''but since talking to this person who seems to know 1t ali T believe her to be most teInperamental creature. Perhaps the reason she doesn't lay more fiuently is because she has turned suffragette. You know the little verse. don't you. that Life had abo,,t the Little Brown Hen recently? Noel Then here it is:
 '' Said the Big Gray Rooster to the Little
 Brown hen:
 You haven't laid an egg in the Lord
 knows when.
 For now I'm full fedged SUPRA
 GETTE,''
 And let me tell you right here apropos Of all this. Peggy" I volunteered. you had better let your cook do your mar ketfna after this, for [ am firmly con yinced that yon arc entirely too tender hearted aIid sympathetic to cope with tla