The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-13
ON THE WING
The Wicked Fly When No Man Pursueth-Holy Scriptures,
Amended
BY JAMES H. HARD

ride of mercury, sterilized. done up in
cause, etc.-five dollars, please-the doc
tors have to live-and SO on.
We have got the cows off the streets.
the hogs in the packing house, the goats
have been converted into mutton, and
currying the cows, getting rid of
the ticks; we swat the fly, famish the
fleas and everybody is still happy
The boys don't go barefooted any more,
but have four five kinds of shoes for
various occasions, keep their trousers
pressed, and their nails manicured. and
such a thing as sore toes and stone
bruises are unknown in polite society.
And everybody is happy.
We have progressed and are pro-
crossing; are we any happier?
Somebody please tell me what was
the origin of the game we used to play
in the dusk of the evening when all
the little negroes on the place Joined
in, and tell me also the words of the
song we used to chant while playing
the game. AS 1 recall it, one player
impersonated a hawk, or eagle, the
. two others were hen and chickens.
the hen guarded the chickens by con-
stantly presenting a front to the
eagle, her chickens being behind her
and holding on to each other by trous-
ers band apron strings; as the
eagle circled in front of the hen. the
chickens would stream out behind the
whole weaving and winding somewhat
as in the game called pop the whip.
Being all ready, the eagle would say:
Bald eagle.
And the hen and chickens would re-
spond, Fly in the basin.
Then the eagle would say Shall have
a chick.
And the others would respond,
Shant have a chick.
| And so the chant would continue:
Shall have a chick, Shant have a
| chick, Shall have a chick, Shan't have
| a chick, until finally, the eagle, max
ing a swoop, would catch chick
and then the chick would become the
| ca gle. 1 have always wanted to know
what was meant by "Flv in the BASIN"
! My little granddaughter who has an
| enquiring mind, asked her aunt the
other day, Does flies have ears?"
| If they do, they must burn, for lis
| teners never hear any good of them
| selves, and they are being talked about
| a good deal just now, while what is
| being said is not very complimentary.
I don't believe flies are as numer
Gus as they used to be. l do not see
| near as many, and neither fly fans
! nor fly brushes are used as much as
! formerly. For which let us be de-
voutly thankful.
speaking Oh Splr1tS OIL luFpeTtlHe, IT.
| is one of the most wonderful heal
| ing agents we have. A mighty good
| doctor in Bessemer once told me
| that if it cost about a dollar an ounce
| instead of about rs cents gallon,
| it would be used to a much greater ex-
| tent than it now is.
| I remember once I was fooling with
an ADJ a DEVILS instrument, or one
which 1t is said the devil cut his knee
| with, when it slipped and gashed my
| hand. 1 stuck my hand in barrel or
| turpentine and bound up the wound,
ana it healed by first intention.
| A drop or two of turpentine on a
| lump of sugar will relieve a tickling
| in the throat or a cough and is use
| full in many ways.
A prescription for spinal meningitis
| from the backwoods Is, "Sackifice a
rag in sperits of turkentine, rub 1T up
| and down on the spine NV the back an
| burn HIT
swat the fly" clean up and re-
| move the cause; keep little calomel
| in the house, use it occasionally; have
| a bottle of castor oil, one Of paregoric;
some EPSON salts; bottle of turpen-
| tine; some mustard; all handy, where
| it can be gotten quickly for use don't
be afraid of hot water; thus keep well
| and reduce the cost Of living, and the
| chance of dying.