The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-08-02
MOTHER CHICKOF TENDER DAYS

An Interesting Bit of Natural History
How a Frying-Size Pullet Took
Charge of Brood of SIX When Her
Mother Gave Up the Ghost
A pullet that peeped out Of her
shell in June and before the end Of
July was playing mother to brood
of six chickens and performing the
self-imposed task conscientiously and
efficiently, according to her lights,
is an interesting bit Of natural his
tory that Farm Demonstration Blanch-
ard ran across the other day.
This remarkable pullet has her To-
cal habitation at the home of Miss
Kate Buie, in the Philadelphus Sec
ton, near the Robson county farm
life school, and how she came to bur
den herself thus early in life with the
cares of mother happened in this
wise: :.
A faithful hen, Diana by name, a
pet and favorite of Miss Kate Buie
Matched out brood of chicks in
June. These chicks were given tt
another hen and Diana went back
on the job to hatch out some eggs
of the same setting. By and by she
came off with six other hostages t
fortune. Meanwhile all the chicks Of
the first brood had Gied except one
pullet, the heroine of this story. She
forsaking her foster mother, cleavec
to her ownproper\parent Of the female
persuasion. From her birth she was
a steady and thoughtful chick, OBJ
servant beyond her years. She watch
ed the ways Of her mother with the
younger chicks, but said nothing.
Now it came to pass that the moth
err sickened and died, leaving thi!
brood Of six helpless chicks quite
alone in the world, SO to speak, ex
cept for the elder sister. And RICH
nobly did this elder sister rise to tn,
demands Of the occasion, though NJ
one had thought Of imposing sucl
responsibility upon her.
She took charge Of that brood O:
chicks herself. Not for nothing hat
she watched closely the ways of {
| mother hen with her chicks. Sht
went about the job in motherly fash
ion. She never had clucked before
but she picked that up right ava,
and now chucks like veteran. Sht
watches over the brood of six with
/ Jealous care. If she doubts thu
friendly intentions Of any one VIII
approaches her charges she bristle!
up and shows plainly that she i
ready for battle. When the shade
Of evening fall she gathers her chick
ems about her and fain would cove
them with her wings. She spread
herself and does the best she car
, but the hours Of the days Of he
! young life are so few that she ha
not got the stature and bulk to GOV
; er the whole family.
:, This is the true story Of a patri
otto pullet Of tender days in this yea
of grace nineteen hundred seventeen
! Maybe she had heard so much abou
food conservation and that the rails
ing Of chickens was one good way t
increase; the food supply that she fel
:; .impelled to do her "bit-, and, like
wise pullet, took the first job that Of
cred and decided to Go it. No CON
plant from her about being too youn
and inexperienced to nave such RI
sponsibility thrust Upon her. tn
mother was dead, there was no on
else to take her place, So she too
: up the task. It was like "carryin
the message to Garcia" The thin
: couldn't be done-and she did it.
Besides, she lives near the count
) farm-life school. It would never c
: for brood Of chicks to suffer fl
: lack Of mother care right at the do
!. Of the institution that teaches, Il
/, people how to raise everything ar
, to meet every emergency that com,
!, up on the farm. This pullet. heir
t grave and thoughtful beyond h
years, realized that.
Great was Diana of Philadelphu