THK BROOK SHOAL. 
143 
hatched chickens, to be called her own if she would feed 
and care for them. She trudged joyfully about with her 
pan of meal dough, and would have.killed them with kind¬ 
ness, if allowed. But one sad September day they were 
gone—her chickens that she loved. The brave young 
roosters, whose spurs and voices were, just growing, were 
sold to make cliicken-pie, and the demure and lady-like 
pullets had gone to swell the harem of some lordty old 
rooster. And to crown her sorrow, the hired man had 
laughed at her! So, with her heart quite broken, she had 
gone to the shoal for comfort. Her tears had brought the 
unusual favor of a doughnut between meals, and it came 
to her suddenly to try feeding the fishes, who never had 
any food that she could see, and who never could be sold 
away from her. 
So she began very slowly and gently, as one must who 
hopes to tame wild things. At first they flashed away into 
the deep water, fearing even the little friend they knew so 
well might mean mischief when she took to tossing things 
at them. But after a time the boldest ventured carefully 
out, caught a morsel and dashed away to eat it. It was 
very good, and he was soon back and others with him. 
With a large part of animal creation the way to the heart 
lies through the stomach—certainly with fish. Doughnut 
proved to be their favorite diet, and after some days they 
would follow her, swimming close to the shore, as she 
marched proudly up one side of the shoal and down the 
other, and at sound of her coming step they ‘ ‘ broke ranks • ’ 
and crowded eagerly up to be fed. They even learned in 
time to eat from her hand as she held it under water. But 
nothing would induce them to eat with strangers who 
came from curiosity, looking on. They could only be seen 
peeping cautiously out from under the banks of the deep 
water. The spectators must themselves hide, as did a na¬ 
ture-loving lawyer from the near city, who, curling up his 
