THE 



HISTORY OF 

 THE HEN FEYER. 



CHAPTER I. 



PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE. 



I WAS sitting, one afternoon, in the summer of 1849, in 

 my little parlor, at Roxbury, conversing with a friend, 

 leisurely, when he suddenly rose, and passing to the rear 

 window of the room, remarked to me, with considerable 

 enthusiasm, 



" What a splendid lot of fowls you have, B ! Upon 



my word, those are very fine indeed, — do you know it? " 



I had then been breeding poultry (for my own amuse- 

 ment) many years ; and the specimens I chanced at that 

 time to possess were rather even in color, and of good size ; 

 but were only such as any one might have had — bred from 

 the coromon stock of the Cbuntry — who had taken the same 

 pains that I did with mine. 



There were perhaps a dozen birds, at the time, in the 



