Page:Salem - a tale of the seventeenth century (IA taleseventeenth00derbrich).pdf/332

 I haz all de same, unbeknownst to me. Yer see, Alice, de care o' hens an' chickens is a mighty great 'sponsibility. Didn't yer neber tink so?"

"Why, no," said Alice, laughing, "I never have thought so; but still it may be—but how do you mean?"

"Well, dat are is what I'm goin' to tell yer. When dese 'ere hens dey fust begun to lay—little Speckle, she wuz the fust to begin, an' it wuz wery pretty o' her, an' I tort it wuz wery good manners.

"But yer see, little Speckle, she were a pert, forth-puttin', no-'count sort o' critter; an' her eggs—well, I s'pose she done her best—but her eggs, dey warn't nuffin' to speak ob—little tings, not much bigger dan a robin's eggs. So, as dey wasn't by no means fit to be sot, I jest used dem in de family as dey come along. But bime-by Brownie, she begun for to lay. Brownie is a real great, gen'rous sort o' hen, an' her eggs, dey wuz sum'pen like—big again as Speckle's wuz. I tell you dem wuz good measure, a credit to any hen, an' I kept dem to set.