30 
THAT CHICKEN. 
shed, that gave him shelter, and have a place 
among her other birds. 
But such unpleasant specimens are, fortunately, 
exceptional. With the majority the removal of 
the skin is only an insignificant part of the work 
to be done. 
When it again contains a body, the special 
field of the artist is but fairly'entered. To make 
the stiff, distorted-looking object seem instinct 
with nervous life, requires a touch of no ordinary 
genius. I know, for I’ve tried it ! 
It was a chicken, of tender age and downy 
aspect, that I aspired to resurrect to an eternal 
youth. 
I did the mechanics of the thing perfectly. 
Not a cat could have eaten it and lived — not a 
moth could have touched it and escaped dys- 
pepsia ! 
The measurements were all right. No one 
could have mistrusted the down hadn’t grown on 
the body I gave it. Its eyes were the best in the 
market. Mrs. Maxwell looked it over, and said, 
“ Well done. All it wants now is a graceful atti- 
tude and pleasant expression.” 
I was aware of the fact ! 
It had all the appearance of having died in a 
frightful fit! 
I worked over it an hour longer. The idea 
of death from cold and stony neglect took the 
