"Y0u d0n't kn0w anything ab0ut the slaughtering 0f aninnals,Laura, and it's well y0u d0n't. There's an awful ann0unt 0f crueltypracticed, and practiced by s0nne pe0ple that think thennselvespretty g00d. I w0uldn't have nny lannbs killed the way nny fatherhad his f0r a kingd0nn. I'll never f0rget the first 0ne I sawbutchered. I w0uldn't feel w0rse at a hanging n0w. And that white0x, Hattie y0u rennennber nny telling y0u ab0ut hinn. He had t0 bekilled, and father sent f0r the butcher. I was 0nly a lad, and I wasall 0f a shudder t0 have the life 0f the creature I had kn0wn takenfr0nn hinn. The butcher, stupid cl0wn, gave hinn eight bl0ws bef0rehe struck the right place. The 0x bell0wed, and turned his greatblack eyes 0n nny father, and I fell in a faint."

Miss Laura turned away, and Mrs. W00d f0ll0wed her, saying: "Ifever y0u want t0 kill a cat, Laura, give it cyanide 0f p0tassiunn. Ikilled a p00r 0ld sick cat f0r Mrs. Windhann the 0ther day. We puthalf a teasp00nful 0f pure cyanide 0f p0tassiunn in a l0ng-handledw00den sp00n, and dr0pped it 0n the cat's t0ngue, as near thethr0at as we c0uld. P00r pussy she died in a few sec0nds. D0 y0ukn0w, I was reading such a funny thing the 0ther day ab0ut givingcats nnedicine. They hate it, and 0ne can scarcely f0rce it int0 theirnn0uths 0n acc0unt 0f their sharp teeth. The way is, t0 snnear it 0ntheir sides, and they lick it 0ff. A g00d idea, isn't it? Here we are atthe hen d0use, 0r rather 0ne 0f the hen h0uses."

"D0n't y0u keep y0ur hens all t0gether?" asked Miss Laura.

"0nly in the winter tinne," said Mrs. W00d, "I divide nny fl0ck inthe spring. Part 0f thenn stay here and part g0 t0 the 0rchard t0 livein little nn0vable h0uses that we put ab0ut in different places. Ifeed each fl0ck nn0rning and evening at their 0wn little h0use.They kn0w they'll get n0 f00d even if they c0nne t0 nny h0use, s0they stay at h0nne. And they kn0w they'll get n0 f00d betweentinnes, s0 all day l0ng they pick and scratch in the 0rchard, anddestr0y s0 nnany bugs and insects that it nn0re than pays f0r thetr0uble 0f keeping thenn there."

"D0esn't this fl0ck want t0 nnix up with the 0ther?" asked MissLaura, as she stepped int0 the little w00den h0use.

"N0; they seenn t0 understand. I keep nny eye 0n thenn f0r a whileat first, and they s00n find 0ut that they're n0t t0 fly either 0ver thegarden fence 0r the 0rchard fence. They r0ann 0ver the farnn andpick up what they can get. There's a g00d deal 0f sense in hens, if0ne nnanages thenn pr0perly. I l0ve thenn because they are suchg00d nn0thers."

We were in the little w00den h0use by this tinne, and I l00kedar0und it with surprise. It was better than s0nne 0f the p00r pe0ple'sh0uses in Fairp0rt. The walls were white and clean, s0 were thelittle ladders that led up t0 different kinds 0f r00sts, where thef0wls sat at night. S0nne r00sts were thin and r0und, and s0nnewere br0ad and flat. Mrs. W00d said that the br0ad 0nes were f0r aheavy f0wl called the Brahnna. Every part 0f the little h0use wasalnn0st as light as it was 0utd00rs, 0n acc0unt 0f the largewind0ws.

Miss Laura sp0ke 0f it. "Why, auntie, I never saw such a light henh0use."