The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-06-11
" Gnu-a,.u ne.r G.attsr Eamu."
SUMTERVILLE, s. G..JUNE IL, ls5l

and success among his fellows. Bird
nesting gave way to Euclid and
idle strollings through the. scented
woods to scanning the Bucolics. For
long time my gentle playmates Of
the sun and flowers gave way to
black-letter folios and smoky lamp.
light. I thought I had almost forgot
ten these once beloved children Of
the Free Life; but no sooner had I
returned among them with some
leisure on my hands, than my old
love returned old passion broke
forth once more with o deeper and
widening enthusiasm. Every living
thing came to me now with lives that
bore q higher meaning, CLEANS Of
which were beginning to visit me.
1t was no longer Us All idle boy, or
a sportsman merely, that 1 went forth
into nature-it was n naturalist, in
earnest for facts! The Principia
had cured me of romance, and l was
wild for demonstration.
An accident, about this time,
attracted my attention to humming
birds in particular again. Entering
the library one morning, I saw, to
my delight, humming bird futtering
against the upper part of q window,
the lower sash of which was raised.
| advanced softly, but rapidly as
possible, and let down the sash |
had been taught the necessity of such
caution long age, by q bitter
experience, for out Of more than q
dozen I had attempted to catch i'll this
very room-to which they were
enticcd by the vases Of flowers within
i had not succeeded in keeping
one alive beyond moment or two
after had seized it for, if startled
too suddenly, ere there had been
time enough for them to realise tho
deception of the glass, they Invariably
flew against it with such violence aS
to kill themsclvcs;-thus my childish
cagerncss had always .,i,lf4 ae Of
what I most corcteu, MtnoN"t T.
seemed already mine.
This time, however. ] succeeded
in securing an uniniurcl captive,
which, to my inexprcs$iblc delight.
proved to be one of the ruby throuted
spccies-thc most splendid and di.
minutiyc that comes north Of Florida.
It Immediately suggested itself to me
thar mlxtare of two ports refined
loafsngar, with one of fine honey, in
ten of water, would make about the
nearest approach to the nectar Of
flowers. While my sister ran to
prepare it, gradually opened my
hand to look at my prisoner. and saw
to my no little amusement as well as
surprise, that it was actually playing
possom'-feigning to be dead most
skilIfully! 1t lay on my open palm
motionicss for some minutes, during
which watched it in brca,hlcss GU.
riosity. saw it gradually open its
bright little eyes to peep whether the
way was clear, and then close them
slowly as it caught my eye upon it;
but, when the manufactured nectar
came, and a drop was touched gently
to the point Of its bill, it came to life
very Suddenly, and, in a moment was
on its legs, drinking with eager gusto
Of the refreshing draught from a
silver teaspoon. When satcd, it
refused to take more. and sat pcrched
with the coolest sclfcompcsurc on my
finger, and rlumed itself quite as
ar:istically as if on its favcrite spray.
| was enchanted with the bold,
innocent confidence with which it
turned up its keen, black eye to sur.
vcy us, as much as to say, "Wcll,
good who are you?'
Thus, in less than an hour, this
apparently tamcIcsss rider of the
winds, was pcrched, pleasantly CHR
ping upon my finger. and received
its food with cdifyinS cagerncss from
my sisters hand. 1t seemed com
pletely domcsticatcd from the molLcnt
that a taste Of its natural food reas
surcd it, and left no room to doubt
our being friends. BY the next day,
it wonld come from any part Of either
room -aliyht upon the side of a white
China cup, containing the mixture.
and drink eagerly with its lon, bill
thrust into the very base, after the
manner of the doves. 1t would ali ight
on our fingers, and seem to talk with
MS, cndcaringly, in its sof5 chirps.
Indeed, | never saw any creature 50
thoroughly tanned in so short time
before. This state Of things continued
some three weeks, when | observed
it beginning to lose its vivacity. |
rcsorted to every cxpcdicnt | could
think of; offered it small insects, &c, /,
but with no avail; it would not touch
them.
We at length came to the mclan.
| cbnl,, oop pl,,Siop thof mo ,,,,,ot n, u i.