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TheEgg[1876-1941]MYFATHERwas,Iamsure,intendedbynaturetobeacheerful,kindlyman.Untilhewasthirty-fouryearsoldheworkedasafarmhandforamannamedThomasButterworthwhoseplacelaynearthetownofBidwell,Ohio.HehadthenahorseofhisownandonSaturdayeveningsdroveintotowntospendafewhoursinsocialintercoursewithotherfarmhands.IntownhedrankseveralglassesofbeerandstoodaboutinBenHead'ssaloon--crowdedonSaturdayeveningswithvisitingfarmhands.Songsweresungandglassesthumpedonthebar.Atteno'clockfatherdrovehomealongalonelycountryroad,madehishorsecomfortableforthenightandhimselfwenttobed,quitehappyinhispositioninlife.Hehadatthattimenonotionoftryingtoriseintheworld.Itwasinthespringofhisthirty-fifthyearthatfathermarriedmymother,thenacountryschoolteacher,andinthefollowingspringIcamewrigglingandcryingintotheworld.Somethinghappenedtothetwopeople.Theybecameambitious.TheAmericanpassionforgettingupintheworldtookpossessionofthem.Itmayhavebeenthatmotherwasresponsible.Beingaschoolteachershehadnodoubtreadbooksandmagazines.Shehad,Ipresume,readofhowGarfield,Lincoln,andotherAmericansrosefrompovertytofameandgreatnessandasIlaybesideher--inthedaysofherlying-in--shemayhavedreamedthatIwouldsomedayrulemenandcities.Atanyratesheinducedfathertogiveuphisplaceasafarmhand,sellhishorseandembarkonanindependententerpriseofhisown.Shewasatallsilentwomanwithalongnoseandtroubledgreyeyes.Forherselfshewantednothing.Forfatherandmyselfshewasincurablyambitious.Thefirstventureintowhichthetwopeoplewentturnedoutbadly.TheyrentedtenacresofpoorstonylandonGriggs'sRoad,eightmilesfromBidwell,andlaunchedintochickenraising.Igrewintoboyhoodontheplaceandgotmyfirstimpressionsoflifethere.Fromthebeginningtheywereimpressionsofdisasterandif,inmyturn,Iamagloomymaninclinedtoseethedarkersideoflife,Iattributeittothefactthatwhatshouldhavebeenformethehappyjoyousdaysofchildhoodwerespentonachickenfarm.Oneunversedinsuchmatterscanhavenonotionofthemanyandtragicthingsthatcanhappentoachicken.Itisbornoutofanegg,livesforafewweeksasatinyfluffythingsuchasyouwillseepicturedonEastercards,thenbecomeshideouslynaked,eatsquantitiesofcornandmealboughtbythesweatofyourfather'sbrow,getsdiseasescalledpip,cholera,andothernames,standslookingwithstupideyesatthesun,becomessickanddies.Afewhensandnowandthenarooster,intendedtoserveGod'smysteriousends,strugglethroughtomaturity.Thehenslayeggsoutofwhichcomeotherchickensandthedreadfulcycleisthusmadecomplete.Itisallunbelievablycomplex.Mostphilosophersmusthavebeenraisedonchickenfarms.Onehopesforsomuchfromachickenandissodreadfullydisillusioned.Smallchickens,justsettingoutonthejourneyoflife,looksobrightandalertandtheyareinfactsodreadfullystupid.Theyaresomuchlikepeopletheymixoneupinone'sjudgmentsoflife.Ifdiseasedoesnotkillthemtheywaituntilyourexpectationsarethoroughlyarousedandthenwalkunderthewheelsofawagon--togosquashedanddeadbacktotheirmaker.Vermininfesttheiryouth,andfortunesmustbespentforcurativepowders.InlaterlifeIhaveseenhowaliteraturehasbeenbuiltuponthesubjectoffortunestobemadeoutoftheraisingofchickens.Itisintendedtobereadbythegodswhohavejusteatenofthetreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil.Itisahopefulliteratureanddeclaresthatmuchmaybedonebysimpleambitiouspeoplewhoownafewhens.Donotbeledastraybyit.Itwasnotwrittenforyou.GohuntforgoldonthefrozenhillsofAlaska,putyourfaithinthehonestyofapolitician,believeifyouwillthattheworldisdailygrowingbetterandthatgoodwilltriumphoverevil,butdonotreadandbelievetheliteraturethatiswrittenconcerningthehen.Itwasnotwrittenforyou.I,however,digress.Mytaledoesnotprimarilyconcernitselfwiththehen.Ifcorrectlytolditwillcenterontheegg.Fortenyearsmyfatherandmotherstruggledtomakeourchickenfarmpayandthentheygaveupthatstruggleandbegananother.TheymovedintothetownofBidwell,Ohioandembarkedintherestaurantbusiness.Aftertenyearsofworrywithincubatorsthatdidnothatch,andwithtiny--andintheirownwaylovely--ballsoffluffthatpassedonintosemi-nakedpullerhoodandfromthatintodeadhenhood,wethrewallasideandpackingourbelongingsonawagondrovedownGriggs'sRoadtowardBidwell,atinycaravanofhopelookingforanewplacefromwhichtostartonourupwardjourneythroughlife.Wemusthavebeenasadlookinglot,not,Ifancy,unlikerefugeesfleeingfromabattlefield.MotherandIwalkedintheroad.ThewagonthatcontainedourgoodshadbeenborrowedforthedayfromMr.AlbertGriggs,aneighbor.Outofitssidesstuckthelegsofcheapchairsandatthebackofthepileofbeds,tables,andboxesfilledwithkitchenutensilswasacrateoflivechickens,andontopofthatthebabycarriageinwhichIhadbeenwheeledaboutinmyinfancy.WhywestucktothebabycarriageIdon'tknow.Itwasunlikelyotherchildrenwouldbebornandthewheelswerebroken.Peoplewhohavefewpossessionsclingtightlytothosetheyhave.Thatisoneofthefactsthatmakelifesodiscouraging.Fatherrodeontopofthewagon.Hewasthenabald-headedmanofforty-five,alittlefatandfromlongassociationwithmotherandthechickenshehadbecomehabituallysilentanddiscouraged.Allduringourtenyearsonthechickenfarmhehadworkedasalaboreronneighboringfarmsandmostofthemoneyhehadearnedhadbeenspentforremediestocurechickendiseases,onWilmer'sWhiteWonderCholeraCureorProfessorBidlow'sEggProducerorsomeother