American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-02
From the Boston TRANSCRIPT. |

A TOUCHING INCIDENT. MIR. George Gold
ing, a noted bird fancier, who is well known in
State street, having been over twenty years
messenger Of the New England Marine Insur-
ance Office, was much afflicted last summer by
the sudden death of his wife. For many years
he has also suffered severely from the effects of
rheumatism, so much so as frequently to be
confined for months to his chamber. But amid
all his Affections he seemed to derive great
pleasure from rearing large family of cana
ries Frequently, when he has been SO racked
with pains as to be unable to stand upright, he
has scrambled out of bed on his hands and
knees, seated himself by the cages, and whistled
and talked to his 'httle Ministries" as he calls
them, for hours; and they in their turn, piping
their shrlllest notes, or sporting from perch to
perch, or eating out of his hand. Every bird
had its name, and so perfectly were they train
ed that nearly all Of them knew when he called
them: and their names, too had each its mean
ing or association, something in the Oriental
style. One would be named "Clear Voice"
another "Little Red Riding Hood" third
"Weeping Willow" SC. &c. So perfect was
the sympathy between them, that no would
open the doors of the cages, then stretch him
self on the floor of his chamber, and call them
to him by name, and, in few minutes, they
would cluster around him, eat out of his mouth,
whistle as he spoke to them, nestle in his Boz
som, and play great variety of other interest
ing antics such as birds can only play.
Last Tuesday, MIR. Golding thought that the
chamber was too cold for his feathered family,
and in luckless hour, he placed a charcoal
furnace in the room for the purpose of warm
ing it, Half an hour afterwards he visited the
room, but who can describe the old mans ago
ny, when he beheld the greater part of the
darlings in which all his affections seemed to
centre, lying dead on the bottoms of their ca
ges! ooh, my God" no exclaimed, call, all
my little ones gone-what have done to de-
serve this" and he sank on the floor, buryng
his face in his hands. His daughter came inn
medately to his assistance, removed the fur
mace, threw the windows open, and succeeded
by these means, in preserving twenty BIRDS He
had fifty in all, and lost thirty.
Nearly an hour elapsed before the old man
could muster courage to attend to the wants of
the living members of his family and remove
the dead ones. Slowly and sorrowfully he
opened the doors of the cages-the tears, the
while streaming down his aged cheeks-and
sad and plaintive were the words he uttered as
he soparated4he dead from the living.
The first dead one he pressed to his lips and
kisaeu again anu again, ana IN a tone OF deep
sorrow he commenced reciting its history
"Thou, my sweet little "Mornng Star" vert
the first TO tell me that the night was gone, and
the daylight near, but no more shall hear thy
voce-it is hushed forever, and my poor heart
is almost broken. And thou too my Evening
STAR" continued he, pressing another to his
lips, "why art thou gone! Why didst thou
leave the old man2 he was kind to thee, he u.s.
ed to kiss thee and feed thee from his mouth,
and listen with delight to thy calm sweet notes,
as they sung the sun beneath the sea. My
Morning and Evening Stars are both set, and'l
will soon follow them" He could proceed no
further, but again sank on the floor, and cried
as if his heart would break. Although the
birds to him were great pecuniary loss, say
one hundred and fifty dollars, yet, he not once
alluded to them in that sense, and we are sa-
tisfed, that if he had ten times that amount, he
would freely have given it all by doing so, he
could have restored them to life. So warmly
is he attached to them still, that he contem-
plates having them stuffed, that he may gaze
on them while he lives