Give Your Boys and Girls a Chance 



Mrs. Rebecca Johnson and Her Little Daughters, Veta and Bessie 

 and their Ducks. 



THIS is the picture of myself and two little girls, Veta and Bessie, and 

 their ducks. Last spring my little girls asked me if they could raise 

 some ducks and have the money they received for them when sold, 

 for their very own. They had some money which they had earned build- 

 ing fires at the school house, and doing odd jobs at home for which they 

 would receive a nickle or a dime. This was all put together in a pocket- 

 book which they called their bank. In February they sent an order to 

 Des Moines, for a trio of Pekin ducks for which they paid $7.00, includ- 

 ing the freight. This they thought was pretty high, but they wanted 

 to start right and wanted the best they could get. They received fine 

 birds. Then we bought an incubator and every morning they would 

 gather the eggs early so they would not chill. They placed them in bas- 

 kets and turned them once each day. They did this without being told. 

 I set the incubator and lifted the trays; they filled the lamps and watched 

 the thermometer, and kept the egg chamber 'at the proper temperature for 

 incubation. They did this just as well as I could have done it. When the 

 ducks began to hatch how delighted the girls were. They would stand in 

 front of the incubator and look at them through the glass and talk all 

 sorts of baby talk, telling them what they would do for them as soon as 

 they would be able to leave the machine. They never took one-half the 



