write about Crickets. Cowper voices a 

 familiar superstition about them when 

 he says: 



" 'Where soe'er be thine abode, 

 Always harbinger of good.' " 



*Teir us about spiders," begged Bird 

 and Madge, as Aunt Jane took up her 



portfoHo to write, thus indicating that 

 the conversation was ended. 



''No, dears — spiders are not 'properly 

 insects; besides, I must now write some 

 letters. Another time we may consider 

 various other creatures 



Belle Paxson Drury. 



THE BOB-TAIL HEN. 



''Well, Speckle, I don't know what 

 you are fit for; too old to lay any eggs 

 and too tough for a wholesome stew." 

 at a respectful distance from a group of 

 These words were addressed to a rag- 

 ged old hen picking up grains of corn 

 energetic fowls which Mrs. Smith was 

 feeding. 



Nature had denied Speckle the ad- 

 vantage of tail feathers, and perhaps 

 years of meditation on this deficiency 

 had produced a feehng of shyness in 

 the old hen, for it was very plain that 

 she held herself aloof from other fowls. 

 She would always give place to other 

 chickens at the water-trough, and not 

 until the last one had drunk its fill 

 would Speckle walk timidly up and dip 

 her beak into the water. 



A handsome young white hen had 

 just brought out a brood of chicks, and 

 from the manner in which she clucked, 

 bent her head and rufifled her feathers 

 over the little creatures, one would have 

 thought that she valued each one be- 

 yond price. 



For a few days Mistress Whitehouse 

 guided her brood about the barn-yard 

 and behaved to all appearances like a 

 most devoted mother, but one morn- 

 ing Mrs. Smith noticed the little chicks 

 huddled in a corner cheeping in the 

 most forlorn manner for their absent 

 mother. 



"Why, yon poor little things," said 

 she, "what has become of your mother? 

 Is it possible!" and looking toward the 

 opposite end of the yard her eyes caught 

 sight of the truant mother scratching 



near the wood-pile with a number of 

 other fowls. 



Mrs. Smith proceeded at once to drive 

 the mother back to her babies and the 

 joy the tiny creatures evinced when 

 they heard the maternal clucking would 

 have touched a heart of stone. 



The same thing happened again next 

 day, and it was very evident that Mis- 

 tress Whitehouse was of the opinion 

 that the burden laid upon her was great- 

 er than she could bear, and wished to 

 escape from her maternal cares. All 

 day the little chicks were in despair, 

 standing with their necks raised and 

 giving vent to the most doleful cries 

 in chickdom, while their mother was 

 scratching in the opposite end of the 

 yard, apparently without a pang of re- 

 gret for their lonely condition. 



Now old Speckle must have had a 

 sharp eye on the little chicks, and after 

 reflecting over the situation, she began 

 clucking and walking quickly up to the 

 brood, spread her wings as an invita- 

 tion for them to come to her. They did 

 not respond immediately, but Speckle 

 continued to cluck and did her best to 

 ruffle her ragged feathers. At last the 

 little chicks decided that a tailless 

 mother was better than none and with 

 sleepy chirps nestled underneath the 

 old hen. As time went on. Speckle 

 showed plainly that she meant to as- 

 sume the duties of motherhood,' and the 

 little chicks seemed only too thankful 

 to follow her about and receive her well 

 meant attentions. Speckle \\"as a great 

 success as a foster mother and raised 

 the entire brood. 



Nina King. 



