captivity　and　the　coop；　I　have　no　means　of　knowing。
  Phoebe　stood　by　one　of　the　duck…ponds；　a　long　pole　in　her　hand；　and
  a　helpless　expression　in　that　doughlike　countenance　of　hers；　where
  aimless　contours　and　features　unite　to　make　a　kind　of　facial　blur。
  （What　does　the　carrier　see　in　it？）　　The　pole　was　not　long　enough　to
  reach　the　ducks；　and　Phoebe's　method　lacked　spirit　and　adroitness；
  so　that　it　was　natural；　perhaps；　that　they　refused　to　leave　the
  water；　the　evening　being　warm；　with　an　uncommon　fine　sunset。
  I　saw　the　situation　at　once　and　ran　to　meet　it　with　a　glow　of
  interest　and　anticipation。　　If　there　is　anything　in　the　world　I
  enjoy；　it　is　making　somebody　do　something　that　he　doesn't　want　to
  do；　and　if；　when　victory　perches　upon　my　banner；　the　somebody　can
  be　brought　to　say　that　he　ought　to　have　done　it　without　my　making
  him；　that　adds　the　unforgettable　touch　to　pleasure；　though　seldom；
  alas！　does　it　happen。　　Then　ensued　the　delightful　and　stimulating
  hour　that　has　now　become　a　feature　of　the　day；　an　hour　in　which　the
  remembrance　of　the　table…d'hote　dinner　at　the　Hydro；　going　on　at
  identically　the　same　time；　only　stirs　me　to　a　keener　joy　and
  gratitude。
  The　ducks　swim　round　in　circles；　hide　under　the　willows；　and
  attempt　to　creep　into　the　rat…holes　in　the　banks；　a　stupidity　so
  crass　that　it　merits　instant　death；　which　it　somehow　always
  escapes。　　Then　they　come　out　in　couples　and　waddle　under　the　wrong
  fence　into　the　lower　meadow；　fly　madly　under　the　tool…house；　pitch
  blindly　in　with　the　sitting　hens；　and　out　again　in　short　order；　all
  the　time　quacking　and　squawking；　honking　and　hissing　like　a
  bewildered　orchestra。　　By　dint　of　splashing　the　water　with　poles；
  throwing　pebbles；　beating　the　shrubs　at　the　pond's　edges；　〃shooing〃
  frantically　with　our　skirts；　crawling　beneath　bars　to　head　them
  off；　and　prodding　them　from　under　bushes　to　urge　them　on；　we
  finally　get　the　older　ones　out　of　the　water　and　the　younger　ones
  into　some　sort　of　relation　to　their　various　retreats；　but；　owing　to
  their　lack　of　geography；　hatred　of　home；　and　general　recalcitrancy；
  they　none　of　them　turn　up　in　the　right　place　and　have　to　be　sorted
  out。　　We　uncover　the　top　of　the　little　house；　or　the　enclosure　as
  it　may　be；　or　reach　in　at　the　door；　and；　seizing　the　struggling
  victim；　drag　him　forth　and　take　him　where　he　should　have　had　the
  wit　to　go　in　the　first　instance。　　The　weak　ones　get　in　with　the
  strong　and　are　in　danger　of　being　trampled；　two　May　goslings　that
  look　almost　full…grown　have　run　into　a　house　with　a　brood　of
  ducklings　a　week　old。　　There　are　twenty…seven　crowded　into　one
  coop；　five　in　another；　nineteen　in　another；　the　gosling　with　one
  leg　has　to　come　out；　and　the　duckling　threatened　with　the　gapes；
  their　place　is　with　the　〃invaleeds；〃　as　Phoebe　calls　them；　but　they
  never　learn　the　location　of　the　hospital；　nor　have　the　slightest
  scruple　about　spreading　contagious　diseases。
  Finally；　when　we　have　separated　and　sorted　exhaustively；　an
  operation　in　which　Phoebe　shows　a　delicacy　of　discrimination　and　a
  fearlessness　of　attack　amounting　to　genius；　we　count　the　entire
  number　and　find　several　missing。　　Searching　for　their　animate　or
  inanimate　bodies；　we　〃scoop〃　one　from　under　the　tool…house；　chance
  upon　two　more　who　are　being　harried　and　pecked　by　the　big　geese　in
  the　lower　meadow；　and　discover　one　sailing　by　himself　in　solitary
  splendour　in　the　middle　of　the　deserted　pond；　a　look　of　evil
  triumph　in　his　bead…like　eye。　　Still　we　lack　one　young　duckling；
  and　he　at　length　is　found　dead　by　the　hedge。　　A　rat　has　evidently
  seized　him　and　choked　him　at　a　single　throttle；　but　in　such　haste
  that　he　has　not　had　time　to　carry　away　the　tiny　body。
  〃Poor　think！〃　says　Phoebe　tearfully；　〃it　looks　as　if　it　was　'it
  with　some　kind　of　a　wepping。　　I　don't　know　whatever　to　do　with　the
  rats；　they're　gettin'　that　fearocious！〃
  Before　I　was　admitted　into　daily　contact　with　the　living　goose　（my
  previous　intercourse　with　him　having　been　carried　on　when　gravy　and
  stuffing　obscured　his　true　personality）；　I　thought　him　a　very
  Dreyfus　among　fowls；　a　sorely　slandered　bird；　to　whom　justice　had
  never　been　done；　for　even　the　gentle　Darwin　is　hard　upon　him。　　My
  opinion　is　undergoing　some　slight　modifications；　but　I　withhold
  judgment　at　present；　hoping　that　some　of　the　follies；　faults；
  vagaries；　and　limitations　that　I　observe　in　Phoebe's　geese　may　be
  due　to　Phoebe's　educational　methods；　which　were；　before　my　advent；
  those　of　the　darkest　ages。
  CHAPTER　IV
  July　9th。
  By　the　time　the　ducks　and　geese　are　incarcerated　for　the　night；　the
  reasonable；　sensible；　practical…minded　hensespecially　those　whose
  mentality　is　increased　and　whose　virtue　is　heightened　by　the
  responsibilities　of　motherhoodhave　gone　into　their　own　particular
  rat…proof　boxes；　where　they　are　waiting　in　a　semi…somnolent　state
  to　have　the　wire　doors　closed；　the　bricks　set　against　them；　and　the
  bits　of　sacking　flung　over　the　tops　to　keep　out　the　draught。　　We
  have　a　great　many　young　families；　both　ducklings　and　chicks；　but　we
  have　no　duck　mothers　at　present。　　The　variety　of　bird　which　Phoebe
  seems　to　have　bred　during　the　past　year　may　be　called　the　New　Duck；
  with　certain　radical　ideas　about　woman's　sphere。　　What　will　happen
  to　Thornycroft　if　we　develop　a　New　Hen　and　a　New　Cow；　my
  imagination　fails　to　conceive。　　There　does　not　seem　to　be　the
  slightest　danger　for　the　moment；　however；　and　our　hens　lay　and　sit
  and　sit　and　lay　as　if　laying　and　sitting　were　the　twin　purposes　of
  life。
  The　nature　of　the　hen　seems　to　broaden　with　the　duties　of
  maternity；　but　I　think　myself　that　we　presume　a　little　upon　her
  amiability　and　natural　motherliness。　　It　is　one　thing　to　desire　a
  family　of　one's　own；　to　lay　eggs　with　that　idea　in　view；　to　sit
  upon　them　three　long　weeks　and　hatch　out　and　bring　up　a　nice　brood
  of　chicks。　　It　must　be　quite　another　to　have　one's　eggs　abstracted
  day　by　day　and　eaten　by　a　callous　public；　the　nest　filled　with
  deceitful　substitutes；　and　at　the　end　of　a　dull　and　weary　period　of
  hatching　to　bring　into　the　world　another　person's　children
  children；　too；　of　the　wrong　size；　the　wrong　kind　of　bills　and　feet；
  and；　still　more　subtle　grievance；　the　wrong　kind　of　instincts；
  leading　them　to　a　dangerous　aquatic　career；　one　which　the　mother
  may　not　enter　to　guide；　guard；　and　teach；　one　on　the　brink　of　which
  she　must　ever　stand；　uttering　dryshod　warnings　which　are　never
  heeded。　　They　grow　used　to　this　strange　order　of　things　after　a
  bit；　it　is　true；　and　are　less　anxious　and　excited。　　When　the　duck…
  brood　returns　safely　again　and　again　from　what　the　hen…mother
  thinks　will　prove　a　watery　grave；　she　becomes　accustomed　to　the
  situation；　I　suppose。　　I　find　that　at　night　she　stands　by　the　pond
  for　what　she　considers　a　decent；　self…respecting　length　of　time；
  calling　the　ducklings　out　of　the　water；　then；　if　they　refuse　to
  come；　the　mother　goes　off　to　bed　and　leaves　them　to　Providence；　or
  Phoebe。
  The　brown　hen　that　we　have　named　Cornelia　is　the　best　mother；　the
  one　who　waits　longest　and　most　patiently　for　the　web…footed　Gracchi
  to　finish　their　swim。
  When　a　chick　is　taken　out　of　the　incubytor　（as　Phoebe　calls　it）　and
  refused　by　all　the　other　hens；　Cornelia　generally　accepts　it；
  though　she　had　twelve　of　her　own　when　we　began　using　her　as　an
  orphan　asylum。　　〃Wings　are　made　to　stretch；〃　she　seems　to　say
  cheerfully；　and　with　a　kind　glance　of　her　round　eye　she　welcomes
  the　wanderer　and　the　outcast。　　She　even　tended　for　a　time　the
  offspring　of　an　absent…minded；　light…headed　pheasant　who　flew　over
  a　four…foot　wall　and　left　her　young　behind　her　to　starve；　it　was
  not　a　New　Pheasant；　either；　for　the　most　conservative　and　old…
  fashioned　of　her　tribe　occasionally　commits　domestic　solecisms　of
  this　sort。
  There　is　no　telling　when；　where；　or　how　the　maternal　instinct　will
  assert　itself。　　Among　our　Thornycroft　cats　is　a　certain　Mrs。
  Greyskin。　　She　had　not　been　seen　for　many　days；　and　Mrs。　Heaven
  concluded　that　she　had　hidden　herself　somewhere　with　a　family　of
  kittens；　but　as　the　supply　of　that　article　with　us　more　than　equals
  the　demand；　we　had　not　searched　for　her　with　especial　zeal。
  The　other　day　Mrs。　Greyskin　appeared　at　the　dairy　door；　and　when
  she　had　been　fed　Phoebe　and　I　followed　her　stealthily；　from　a
  distance。　　She　walked　slowly　about　as　if　her　mind　were　quite　free
  from　harassing　care；　and　finally　approached　a　deserted　cow…house
  where　there　was　a　great　mound　of　straw。　　At　this　moment　she　caught
  sight　of　us　and　turned　in　another　direction　to　throw　us　off　the
  scent。　　We　persevered　in　our　intention　of　going　into　her　probable
  retreat；　and　were　cautiously　looking　for　some　sign　of　life　in　the
  haymow；　when　we　heard　a　soft　cackle　and　a　ruffling　of　plumage。
  Coming　closer　to　the　sound　we　saw　a　black　hen　brooding　a　nest；　her
  bright　bead　eyes　turning　nervously　from　side　to　side；　and；　coaxed
  out　from　her　protecting　wings　by　youthful　curiosity；　came　four
  kittens；　eyes　wide　open；　warm；　happy；　ready　for　sport！
  The　sight　was　irresistible；　and　Phoebe　ran　for　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Heaven
  and　the　Square　Baby。　　Mother　Hen　was　not　to　be　embarrassed　or
  daunted；　even　if　her　most　sacred　feelings　were　regarded　in　the
  light