102 AROUND AN OLD HOMESTEAD. 



"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, 

 and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I 

 have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth 

 her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" 



Curiously, that is the one instance in the Bible 

 where the hen is mentioned. Job propounded the 

 question whether there was any taste in the white of 

 an egg, and other birds are spoken of in the Scrip- 

 tures; but it remained for the Master to remember 

 the common hen. Aye, but even more than by that, 

 has He sanctified the barn unto us: He was first laid 

 in a manger, while round about Him on the hillsides 

 shepherds watched their flocks by night. 



I like to watch the chickens as they drink. How 

 they lift their little heads, and let the cool drops trickle 

 down their throats, in evident pleasure at it! Truly 

 they, too, are lovers of life. 



Do animals think and ponder? I see no reason 

 why they should not. The force of habit certainly 

 becomes very strong upon them. I know that calvary 

 horses get so used to the bugle that they obey the calls 

 as readily as the men. And I believe that an old farm 

 horse knows whether he is going to town, or to the 

 field, or just down to the post-office, by the different 

 sets of harness we put on him. Perhaps he will look 

 forward to the long ride and wonder how heavy the 

 load will be. A horse used to a certain route certainly 

 knows where to stop, and a loose horse, even out on a 

 prairie, can generally find his way home if he wants to. 

 A horse familiar with the road is frequently a safer 



