The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-06-14
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THECIlILDREN AND THE ROBIN

ss,.'s 1tlsts tel ! anp.
THE 4 HI s CHILDREN AND THE ROBIN.
ssfs II .4gSSS By T. 5. ARTHUR.
Tho snow had been falling steadily
s since morning,an the earth was cover
clsto the depth of several inches. ate
y nsthes afternoon, us little Mary Wilson
snnd her brothers, Thomas and Edwafd,
were sitting near the CRATE in the parlor,
they heard a f1uttering noise agninst the
! window. On looking around they saw a
bird with his wings outsprcad, and his
Y breast PRESSED against one OF the panes Of
glass at twhich,hc was now beginning to
sEpicks with bis slender bill.
tsi@ Q! a robin, q robin rcd brcast!'' ex-
!; clnimed Mary, clapping her hands to.
gethcr. And all the children stnrted up
and ran toward the window. :, .4
There!he's gone!' said Mary, in dis.
appointed voice as ahe stopped suddenly.
Let US open the windows, and then all
& go and sit quietly down on the sofa, Said
Thomas,
4gf So the children opened the windows,
md went and sat down upon the sofa,
as I'homus had suggested, In a lit
tieswhile the robin came back and lit upon
the window sill. The children did not
stir normnke nnoise; and soon he hoped
down upon the floor, and went and hid
himself lin a corner of o room, behind q
lurgei chair.
90 slut tho window, bn,ther, whisper
ed Mary to Edward; and Edward went
koftly 10 tho window, md shut it down;
safterswhicfr lie returcd 10 the sofa, and
with Mary and .Tho,has remained very
quiet. Il wasnot long before the warmth
ofthe room made him feel better SO he
came out fromElis hiding plnce, and stood
for about ayminuie turning his head from
one side 10 the other, nndappcaYing toex-
'ninine every object in the room with his
title dark expressive eyes. Satisfied at
last, tic took three running hops, which
Brought lsim into the middle Of the room,
where lie made another pause, and took
unolhers survey. Mary said, in gentle
Voice, Il Robin! Rol,in!' s..s
The birdswas fightened, and fluttered
bnck TO his hiding place. But, as the
tciiidren%renlained yery2still, it soon came
Out once more and hoppcd into the middle
tofthe room Mary agaha said, Robin!
Rohini'
81 The bird started and stood turning his
head from one side to the other, asbcfore.
fBnhitYdidnot run back into The corner
fhis,time. Preseatlyit began picking up
some crumbs Of cake which the nurse let
the abvscatteron the floor. cannot
toll how fmuckthc children were pleased
atthis, But they restrained themselves,
for fear offrighiening little Robin red
5breast, ard called him in u lowyoice, say.
fng:
Robinl Robin Dear lit,lo robin red
lfreast!' ;e;
The bird seemed TO understand tha,
they spoke kindly to him, for he hoped
IdWard them little way, and then stopped
and, turned his head as before, from side
10 side. It was not a great while before
ne would permit hirscl ITO be taken up in
their hands, and let them smooth his soft
feathers,
an ask papato buy cnge, as soon ais
! he comes home, said Edward.
10 put poor robin in?' asked Mary,
looking with earnest eyes into her broth.
er'safaee.
80, no! returned Mary, we won't shut
poor little robinGred- breast up in cuge; :
.Cut,papaSWills get us a big cage
sThe biggest edge you could get would
Be a small lIplnce alongside Of The fields
and woods. @, no! Don't think Of putting
robin redbreast ia d cage. We will feed
: him and then open The window and then
5etehin 60 away again. The ground is
alicovsred With snow, and he cannot find
anything TO ent in the fields. He viii
come back 10 us every day while The snow
Is onsthe ground; end we will feed him
every day. He has come to ns and trus.
tedsto MS. Don't let us deceive him.
at'Ifyou let so, you will never see
him again, said Thomas, who felt moro
in.fayor Of Edwards proposition.
SO, yeslI am sure VIC will. But even
ifhe.s Should never come back, he has done
lis nc, wrong. He doesn't belong to US.
we have norjght to rob him of his iree.
dom, and shut him uplin q cagea r
tHa,ll doa great denl better in cage