Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-09-08
THE LINNET AND HIS NEST.
A FABLE FOR THE YOUNG.

THE LINNET AND HIS NEST.
A FABLE FOR THE YOUNG.
There was once upon a time, linnets nest
in quiet green lane-a lane very little frequen-
ted by Travellers where the only traffic was that
of farmers, kinds, and plowmen, with now and
then an old woman in a red cloak with basket
of eggs or butter, or young lass with laughing
eyes and freckled face, bedapped with the shad-
ows Of the futtering leaves, gliding noiselessly
along beneath the trees. The grass grew plen-
tifuly on the ground and almost concealed the
deep ruts made by the passage of the hay-carts
and harvest-wans, so that if you did not take
heed to your steps you might find yourself let
down good deal lower in the world before you
were aware of it, There were whitethorns and
blackthorns, brambles, hazels and alder-trees,
thickly clustering together in the hedges on Ell
ther side, together with young ashes, old poll
ards, and graceful birches. There was general
ly company Of donkeys, stroling leisurely
about the lane, placid, well.conducted members
of society, who, if they ever had any wild oats to
sow, had sown them long ago, and were ready
to make amends by devouring any quantity of
oats, wild or cultivated, they could meet with in
the course Of their wanderings. There was
little brook of clear sparkling water which bub-
bled and babbled perpetualy under the left bank
from one end of the lane to the other, and much
farther in both directions than ] can tell 4; and
made music all night long, and all day too, tho
it could scarcely be heard then for the singing
of the birds, who had it all pretty much their
own way in the green lane, there being neither
school-boys nor gunners in the neighborhood to
punder their nests in summer or knock them on
the head in winter.
AS said before, there was a lnnet's nest in
this lane, built in darkling bush of whitethorn,
in the very thickest part of the hedge just over
the brook, where it ran rushing by between
couple Of great stones, all green with the moss
of perhaps Il hundred years. The Old birds that
occupied this nest were prudent couple, who
had brought up several broods some of which
had been taken by the ruthless hand of the spoil
er, and consigned to a lingering death through
i'll treatment; or, worse fate still, as some may
think, to perpetual imprisonment within the
iron bars of singing cages. Sorrow had taught
them foresight, and they were cunning enough
now to elude the ravages Of the brd-nester by
keeping out of his way.
They had now as fine family around them
as ever dwelt peaceably together in one nest
Dick the eldest, was a forward kind of bird he
was the first to chip the shell and pop his little
pate into the world, and before he was half an
hour old had gobbed up a grub from his moth
er's bill half as big as his own head. He was
always the first to open his mouth of morning,
kept it open the widest when anything in the
eating way was going forward, and was the last
to shut it at night. lie was the first to get q
coat to his back, and crown to his poll, and the
first to testify, to the immense qualification of
his hard-working parents, the indisputable indi-
cations of tail in perspective. The pleasant
sunny days and weeks of early summer did a
vast deal for Dick and his younger brothers and
sisters. The whole domestic circle, with the
exception of the parents, who lost flesh aud
feather through anxiety and hard work, throve
and grew amazingly; and one fine morning, TO
the astonishment of all beholders, the saucy
Dick leaped from the nest to spray just above
it, and giving three chirps in honor Of the event,
flew to the top of the bush and in a very loud
strain proclaimed to all whom it might concern
that he had set up in the world for himself
Neither of his parents was very sorry to get rid
of him, for to say the truth, the whole brood
had grown so big of late, and had played such
sad havoc with the nest, that repair was almost
out of the question, and whether it could be put
into condition to qualify it for future service,
was more than they knew.
But we must leave the old birds to bring up
and turn forth their expensive family, and repair
or rebuild the paternal dwelling as they best can
and follow and see what Master Dick is about,
and how he is going to use the world and the
world him. He got on bravely during the sum-
mer months before he had left home fort
night he could fly as well and as high as his own
father. He had a natural taste for music too,
and as sweet pipe of his own as one would
wish to hear What with learning new tunes,
filling himself to his hearts content with insects
and green seeds, he led, for bird, a merry life.
Cold and wet weather he did not like so well
not that he cared for rain, he could shake that
off easily enough but it sent the flies to their
hiding places, and with the exception of a stray
worm or grub, reduced him altogether to veg
etable diet. He learned very small amount
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