Poor little Laycock has made up her mind to sit on her beautiful little nest of eggs and no power can stop her. There she sits through the broiling heat of the day, and there is no hope, for a pullet's first eggs never hatch. I have tried every method known to stop her, except ducking her in water; that I would not do.
That instinct of fulfilling one's destiny and duty is very wonderful. The heat has been fierce, and the box is in the full sunshine, the scarlet geraniums in full bloom, and at first her little comb was as red as they, but gradually it has paled till it is a dull gray now. There she sits gasping with her poor little mouth wide open. I put water by her, but she does not avail herself of it.
Twice a day she flies down and goes to the well, and is fed, making a tremendous ado among the other fowls, and then back again to her post. It is a thing to excite the most enthusiastic admiration, that adherence to the post of duty—duty for its own sake. I am going to have the box taken out under a tree, where at least she will not suffer so.
August 22.
A negro man and his wife asked to see me early this morning, whom I did not know, though they were descendants, both of them, of our own people, and I wondered what they could want. My joy was great when I found they wanted one of my heifers, and had brought the money. The man was bargaining with me trying to get it for $10 when the woman said:—
"Miss, I may's well tell you I wants one o' your breed o' cow, en I got de $15 in me pocket fo' pay fo' em."
So I sold her my beautiful Dodo, and I promised to keep her in my pasture until their fields were open. It is a mercy to me to have this unexpected sale.
Last week I sold Peacock with her picture calf. I nearly wept, but yet was glad to get an offer for her. She was a pale gray, with eyes all over like the feathers of a peacock and a splendid milker.
I don't allow myself to put down anything about the heat; after seeing little Laycock's unmurmuring endurance in her maternal zeal, I feel it is unworthy to dwell upon or even mention the subject, but it has been terrific.
Yesterday, as I drove down, at one place where the pines are thick a splendid wild turkey rose just in front of us and soared away, greatly to Ruth's alarm. To-day very near the same place we came on a number of them. There must be a growth just there of the berries on which they feed.