Sept. 1, 1911 



laid, and they get extra prices by having 

 every egg not only strictly fresh but first 

 class in every respect. They have a reputa- 

 tion in the cities of New York and Philadel- 

 phia, and they work hard to keep up that 

 reputation. They do not use tireless brood- 

 ers. He said that a little gentle heat for the 

 first two or three weeks is so much of a help 

 in getting strong and sturdy chicks that 

 they prefer it ; but just as soon as the chicks 

 can l)e persuaded to get up on their little 

 perches, especially in summer, they are en- 

 couraged to do so. Of course, all heat is cut 

 off at such a time. They have been using 

 the Prairie State incubator; but every one 

 in a long room full has been sold, and they 

 are installing a "Candee" mammoth in- 

 cubator, as they became satisfied ihat the 

 big machines taking over a thousand eggs at 

 a time give more and better chicks with very 

 much less labor to control. He added, how- 

 ever, that if he were in Florida, as we are in 



541 



the winter time, he probably would use fire- 

 less brooders without heat; although he sug- 

 gested that a little heat would save a lot of 

 trouble in enabling the chicks to find the 

 hover. When I suggested a sitting hen put 

 into a barrel laid on its side for 40, 60, or 

 even 75 chicks, he said most emphatically, 

 "Mr. Root, if you can have a sitting hen at 

 just the time you want her, your barrel ar- 

 rangement would be just the thing — perhaps 

 the best thing in the world;" and I am go- 

 ing to try hard to have some sitting hens 

 ready whenever ray chicks hatch. 



One thing more. Mr. Corning said he 

 would never use eggs for hatching chickens 

 until the mother is fully a year old, or at 

 least until she has been laying long enough 

 as a pullet to be fully developed, and laying 

 good-sized fertile eggs strongly fertile. Of 

 course, the small eggs that the pullet lays 

 at first will hatch chickens, but not good 

 strong healthy ones such as we all want. 



©Qoip \^®\m 



A. I. Root 



If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from 

 doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and caU the 

 sabbath a deUght. the holy of the Lord, honorable, 

 and Shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, 

 nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine 

 own \vords. then thou shalt delight tliyself in the 

 Lord; and I will cause tliee to ride upon the high 

 places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage 

 of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hatli 

 spoken it.— Isaiah og : 13, 14. 



When I started ofT on my eastern triji I 

 told our people I could make my several 

 points and get home by Saturday night sure. 

 But Saturday morning, when T began to in- 

 quire of my friends about my route home, I 

 found I could just about make it without 

 encroaching on the sabbath if I did not 

 make any more stops; and with so much 

 traveling, being rushed from one point to 

 another, I was feeling pretty well tired out, 

 and I do not know but I was a little home- 

 sick. In fact, I felt a strong disposition to 

 cut short my visits and rush straight home. 

 I found, too, that my best route would take 

 me through Troy, N*. Y., and I recalled that 

 a niece who resided there, with whom I had 

 been most intimately acquainted in her 

 childhood and babyhood, had complained 

 that I had never made her a visit. In think- 

 ing the matter over I wondered whether I 

 should follow inclination rather than duty, 

 or, if you choose, do what I wanted to do 

 rather' than what T oiir/ht to do. I finally 

 knelt down and resolved to "take it to the 

 Lord in prayer." While asking for divine 

 guidance I recognized that I might have to 

 travel on the trolley cars perhai)s on Sun- 

 day morning in order . to get home. The 

 answer came remarkably sharp and clear, 

 "Spend the sabbath with the niece whom 

 you have neglected so long." In fact, it 

 was a sort of feeling that the great Father 

 had some ivork for me to do on that special 

 sabbath if I were ready and willing to do his 

 bidding. 



At exactly 6 o'clock p.m., I was at the Troy 

 station; but as I had not planned to call on 

 my relative I had no idea where to find her. 

 There were several obstacles in the way. 

 The stores and business places were pretty 

 much all closed. Of course, I could consult 

 the directories; but I am too deaf to hear the 

 average talk through the telephone; and I 

 did not know a soul in that whole great city. 

 My niece was a widow. I knew her hus- 

 band, before his death, was engaged in the 

 shirt and collar business; and after spend- 

 ing what little time I had in going from 

 point to point with a heavy valise, I ap- 

 proached such a place of business. It was 

 shut up like all the rest. A little girl sat on 

 the doorstep. She kindly gave me a little 

 encouragement; and when a gentleman 

 came along who looked as if he might be 

 willing to help a stranger, I apjiealed to him. 

 AVe consulted the city directory; but there 

 was a long string of Gardners, and hvo that 

 had recently died; but no street or number 

 (as they were dead) was given these. He 

 suggested he knew a man connected with 

 an insurance company, named Gardner, 

 and we went uj^ there. But their place was 

 closed also. At this stage I asked the pop- 

 ulation of Troy, and was told that it was 

 about seventy-five thousand. 



"Seventy-five thousand! why, my dear 

 sir, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. 

 I can not think of bothering you any fur- 

 ther. I think I will take the next train, and 

 go on and give it up." 



He smiled pleasantly and replied, "Oh, 

 no! Since we have got started we are going 

 tQ find our man, or icoman.'^ 



Now, as soon as I decided in my own mind 

 that I would give up the quest (as I thought 

 I could not find her any way) , it brought on 

 a feeling of darkness— that is, my spiritual- 



