278 FROM A NEW ENGLAND HILLSTDE. 



acquired quite strength enough to break 

 the shell, and was assisted in that under 

 taking by Nicholas John. It was then put 

 into the brooder with the others, but seemed 

 so weak and miserable, thus thrown so 

 untimely upon a cold and uncharitable 

 world, that it was placed for a few hours 

 in the incubator. This, by the way, con 

 tains about a hundred eggs, the tenants of 

 which are at present something more than 

 half way between this world and the world 

 to come, or between the other world and 

 this, whichever is the more appropriate 

 expression. (I get very much confused be 

 tween these different worlds. ) The outcome 

 of this experiment will be very interesting. 

 However it may result with the eggs, the 

 effect was quite satisfactory in the case of 

 the immature chick, which, after being put 

 back into the brooder, I found busy with 

 the others, the following morning, all being 

 engaged in earning an honest livelihood on 

 the floor of their wooden foster mother. 



Thinking them now old enough to endure 

 a further experience of life, I removed 

 the slide which closed the approach to the 

 sunny outer world ; but it was an hour or 

 two before any ventured so far as into the 

 open air. At length I encouraged two or 



