POULTRY. 133 



Certainly every inducement was offered those 

 chickens to lay; they had abundant &quot;feeds&quot; of meal, 

 and oats, and wheat, with &quot; mate&quot; twice a day, like 

 an Irish servant-girl; they had the grazing of the 

 entire &quot; five acres,&quot; and most attractive boxes, but 

 they did not seem to improve their opportunities. I 

 had concluded that they were such a rare breed that 

 they could not afford to overstock the market, and 

 no longer wondered at their monstrous price, when 

 Patrick rushed in to announce that the big Domi- 

 nick by which name he insisted upon calling a bird 

 that had been sold to me as a Black Spanish of the 

 most valuable kind had a nest full of eggs. 



&quot; Sure and I jist found her out, the cunning baste ; 

 she stole her nest on me, and has it full of the purtiest 

 eggs yez iver saw.&quot; 



&quot;Well, Patrick, that is a good sign; yon must look 

 round and find some more; they are all doubtless 

 laying. Now go and bring me the eggs that you 

 have found.&quot; 



&quot; Bring in the eggs, is it ?&quot; 



&quot; Certainly ; it is too late in the year for setting.&quot; 



&quot; Sure, and how am I to do that ?&quot; 



&quot; Why, go and take them ; you re not afraid of a 

 lien?&quot; 



&quot; But how am I to get there ?&quot; 



