26 COMMON SENSE 
produce the fine quality of half a dozen of the hens which I found 
on the place, and which were marked exceptions to the rest. 
So the little Bantam hen was left alone by herself, and it occurred 
to me that I would give Nettie a surprise. ‘The hen was laying, 
but of course her eggs were not fecundated. A friend of mine, at 
some distance, however, had, as I knew, some very fine Seabrights, 
so I drove over to his house, taking the little hen with me. I 
I explained what I wanted and what I wanted it for, and as a 
matter of course I left the hen behind. In a few weeks I received 
from my friend ten little eggs, which I set under a quiet old hen, 
and in due time had nine of the prettiest, smallest chicks I had 
ever seen. Nettie had already written for her hen, but I excused 
myself on one ground and another. Now, however, I had no 
excuse. The hen herself had been sitting on eggs for ten days, so 
I drove over and brought her home, nest and all. The same even- 
ing I took away her eggs and gave them to another hen, while I 
slipped the nine little chickens under her and left her in darkness. 
Next morning she came off the nest, quite proud of her little flock 
and taking very kindly to them. I therefore packed her up ina 
nice crate, and sent her by express prepaid to her mistress, and 
will leave my readers to imagine her astonishment and delight. 
But although the little Bantam: rooster had ignobly perished in 
the struggle for the survival of the fittest, he had evidently Jeft his 
impress on the flock. There were several hens of very small size 
in the yard, and their plumage showed that they were related to 
him. I therefore saw that if the Bantam eggs I had now Setting 
should hatch, it would never do to keep the cocks except in a cage 
or aviary. They did hatch, and I had five pullets and six cock- - 
erels. ‘Two of the pullets I kept; the other three I paired with 
cockerels, and the little beauties were a source of great delight to 
some young people to whom I gave them; the three remaining 
cockerels J afterwards exchanged for birds of a less beautiful but 
more useful breed. 
