The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-27


 we were sitting around che cosy fire, we heard noise at tEe window.
 On opening It we found a little speckled hen, brown and white. We took the sfaivering, benunbed little creature in and cared for her. She stayed about the house all winter, and in early spring she mad9 herself a nest down in a cosy corner of the woodshed, and after while we gave her thirteen large Grahma eggs to sit on.
 The weather was very cold when she came of. the 1st of April, leading six soft little chicks up to the kitchen door. One of the poor babies lived only a few weeks, but the others were healthy and strong. It continued cold. stormy spring, so we made coop for the little stranger and her babies near the house and took fond care of them all.
 But what do you think When the babies were just three weeks old their naughty little mother left them, left them to care for themselves, so they never learned a great many things that all well-brought-up chickens are taught For one thing, they never learned to roost. but would nestle to- gether on the ground, just as if the mother-l1en were about to cover them with her warm feathers.
 We had to give them all the more care because they were so helpless, and we petted them great deal We fed them choice bits from the table, especially meat of which they were very fond. While they were still quite young they learned to stand in row in front of me, and take their meat in turn, 50 that all would be served alike Sometimes Wo would take them in our laps and rock them. and often held them in our warm hands and petted them. out in the yard. They seemed to enjoy it all as much as kittens would
 As they grew older we gave them names. There were three roosters| and two hens. One of the roosters we named .tNicodemus," because he l always seemed anxtcsss to look into matters He was always peeping about into boxes and corners He was so tall he could reach up to the top of table and peck at things upon it.
 Sometimes when we forgot and left things within reach upon the kitchen table he would step in and help him self very freely. He grew to be so large and fat perhaps on account of the goodies he stole, that he could only walk a little distance without sit ting down upon the ground to rest.
 Another rooster we called Zacheus" because he was the only one that ever l learned to climb at all, and he never
 
 But he made it up by stretching his l neck a1armingly, so that he stood as tall as two roosterss ought to be. He, too. was a fine and very large roost-
 But the ..cock of the walk was @Captain swhfte.'' He was a pure white fowl with the exception of some fine feathers in his tail and bright red head-piece. The Captain knew very we'll that he was a hand. some fowl, and strutted about aud asserted his rights in a very dignified manner.
 There was sometimes good deal of this on account of the pet Of the ward. our handsome little Beauty She was a. vain. happy little hem. and dearly did she love to stir up a fuss for Captain White to settle. It was really very happy family, except when Nick or Zach were too atten-# tive to their sisters; then Captain White very soon showed them their proper places He never fought uu1 til he thought it positively necessary. and then he did 1t up in such a thor ough way that it lasted. He always insisted on walking between his two sisters, making poor Nick and Zach follow meek1y behind. They might scratch for their sisters if he were by. but let them try it when he was resting somewhere! Then what fuss he would nakel He would fly to- ward them on the wings of the wind. It was laugha.ble to see the squabble and hear the sco1ding and pleading. Snowflake always did her best to make peace, and always succeeded. at last.