THE HEN FEVER. 107 



I almost always had " better ones." That was the kind 

 I always kept behind, or for my own use. I rarely sent 

 away these better ones until they cried . for 'em ! I 

 always had a great many of the " best " ones, too ; which 

 were even better than those "better" ones for which the 

 demand had come to be so great ! 



Strange to say, everybody got to want better ones, at 

 last ; and, finally, I had none upon my premises but this 

 very class of birds — to wit, the "better ones." To be 

 sure, I reserved a very few pairs of the best ones, which 

 could be obtained at a fair price ; but these were the ones 

 that would "take down" the fanciers, occasionally, who 

 wanted to beat me with them at the first show that came 

 off. But I did n't sleep much over this business. I always 

 had one cock and three or four hens that the boys did n't 

 see — until we got upon the show-ground. Ha, ha ! 



A stranger called at my house, one Sunday morning, 

 just as I was ready with my family for church. He 

 apologized for coming on that day, but could n't get away 

 during the- week. He had never seen the Grey Shang- 

 haes — didn't know what a Chinese fowl was — had no 

 idea about them at all. He wanted a few eggs — heard 

 I had them — wouldn't stop but a moment — saw that 

 I was just going out, &c. &c. He sat down — was sorry 

 to trouble me — wouldn't do so again — would like just 

 to take^a peep at the fowls — when, suddenly, as he 



