Year: 1875




be, q mystery to man. She exasperatss
him by pretending to pick solid chunks OF
nutriment from the smooth side ola board,
and she jeopardizes his reason by her un-
blemished obstinacy and unvarying con-
trariness.


We are reminded very forcibly of this
by the recent experience of the man across
the way. he has no hens of his own, but
one of the neighbors has several. and one
of the number showed a marked indica-
ton, shorI time ago, to build up fami-
ly. About the same time he heard of a
party in Bethel who had lot of choice
eggs from a new and remarkable breed of
hens. The owner of the hen didn't want
to set it, as he had all the poultry he could
care for, and needed what eggs he could
get. and had no smeney TO experiment
With fancy stock. These facts coming to
the man across The way, gave him an idt a.
He was very anxious 10 have lot of hens,
and he thought he would buy the eggs
and borrow the neighbours hen. He said
he couldn't tell half the time when he
was getting good eggs from the store, and
if he only had hens OF his own he would
be sure of fresh eggs every day. This
suggested to his wife the awful affair with
the COW two years ago, and she told him
he ought TO remember that dreadful ex-
perience.


"Ah, yes; but then, my dear, acow is
much different animal from hen. A hen
don't Kick, of course, a.d it is absurd to
believe that hen would tear down fence,
rip up shrubs, and smash down whole
hOt-bouse i'm one afternoon. Beside. you
know, there's no churning and back
breaking IN preparing eggs Tor the table.
Those hens can play AROUND the yard, and
eat the scraps from the table. and it won't
cost penny to keep them. besides being
of great help and good company. shall
take pleasure, and so will you, in looking
at them, and when you come to sit down
to platter of nice fresh eggs to breakfast,
you will look upon it as | do"


That settled it. He saw the owner of
the hen, and told him what he wanted,
and that he would return the animal in
due time, and also four chickens from the
brood. The offer was promptly accepted.
Then he bought sixteen eggs for four dol
lars and eighty cents, and set the hen in a
box in the woodshed The next day he
learned that the moon lacked two days of
being at the right quarter for assisting an
incubating hen. so he removed the eggs
until the proper time. The day after he
was somewhat put back TO learn that an
even number OF eggs would prove disas-
trOus to the enterprise, so he took out one
of them and smashed it. He was now all
right. Every thing moved smoothly, and
he was highly elated. Three times day
he looked in st the hen. And there she
sat. as comfortable as could be, with the
eveT-bright eye shining steadily and un-
finchingly.


About ten days later, when he came
home to tea, his son said:


Z" Pa, the hen was off again this after
noon"


''Well, what of it?"


"Why, Aunt Mary says if it says off too
long the eggs will get chilled. And it
was off an hour this afternoon; and i
drove it back in the shed, and it went
back on the nest. And, by gracious, had
the greatest time getting it to go into the
shed, although the door stood wide open
all the time"


In further proof of his zeal, the lad
rolled up his pants and displayed a shin
which had carried him unexpectedly over
an ash pail, and which looked as if it had
been used to tack down a carpet.


"1ou mustn't run the hen, William !;
that's the way it gets excited. and don't
know where it is going" said the father.


The next day at noon she had been off
the nest two hours. William volunteered
to 90 out and drive her in with picket,
but his father rebuked him for his un-
sesmly haste.


He found the hen in the yard partaking
of hasty lunch from the label of an old
peach can. William followed him out.
The man across the way gently ap-
proacled the animal, mildly enunciating !:


"Chicky, ch,cky, chicky.n


Tie hen moved off The man across the
WAY moved alter her. she kept going !;
so did he. Thus working about he got
her near the door, with her head pointing
in. Then he suddenly swooped down
toward her. and she flew away to one
side, aud gained the garden again.


= HO, no, hop sid VIII am, sxplo sively.


"What's that, young MANI" savagely
demanded his father, turning around upon
hjm


But William was frowning heavily at a
board in the fence, and did not hear the
question. The hen was again approached,
and pretty much the same performance
was gone over again, excepting that Viii
liam didn't no, no, no, aloud. The man
across the way then put after her on a
run, the most foolish thing he could have
done. The chase grew exciting. William
brought his picket TO bear, but was order
ed into the house so boisterously that he
retreated at once.


"Oh, ma! he shouted, " come out and
see pa chase Mickle's hen. He goin'
round the garden like circus hoss. Come
quick"


And she did come The hen was ap-
parently on the point of darting through
the door as she appeared in It, looking
helplessy around. That was the last
feather. The inflamed man lost all con-
troll OF himself


"Go back out of the door," he scream
ed, "Or I'll put bullet right through
YOU"


Mercy help u.s. cried the Mortified
woman, as she precipitately retreated.


But the hen was out IN the garden again,
with both wings Gown. neck elongated,
and cackling at the top of her voice. The
man across the way put after her again.
He caught up clothes pole, and piece
of coal, and an Oyster-shell and a stone,
and frozen potato on the way. He fol-
lowed her around the out-buiIdings, under
the wagon, over the stoop, across the grass,
through the soft ground Finally be
caught her and restored her to the nest.
The next day she stayed abed all day, and
he got his clothes mended. The third day
she came of again, and showed ne dispo-
sition 10 return. The man across the way
heaved sigh, and took of his hat and
coat, and put after her again. He stepped
on the side of his foot in the third round
and seriously wrenched it. He then fol-
lowed on the extreme end of the toes OF
that foot, which hardly improved his
speed, but added considerably TO the spec
tacular effect. But he got her, although
he was laid up four days with his lame
ankle.


Finally the specified time passed away,
and with triumphant roar, the hen came
of with her brood. The man across the
way rushed out in an ecstacy. All the
troubles and annoyances he had undergone
were forgotten in flash. With feverish
haste he counted the brood. There were
four of them. Just four, and they were
very pretty. But the man across the way
simply sat down on the chopping-block,
covered his face with his hands, and
groaned with sll his capacity.-Danba1s
Nes0s.