Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-08-01
GGlmtestrr Daily Spp,
The OverGIIed Nest.
~ GRACE GREENWOOD

On one OF our walks in the wood, a while
since, we found, under messy bank. a
Sr0und-blrd's nest from which the tull-dpdGed
buildings were fitting. Welingered near. and
quletlyiwatched them making their first eager,
yet umId essays at fight-all the world before
them-the world which doubtless to their sim.
pie thought was comprehended in their little
forest glade-a marvellous chamber, pillared
and arched by mighty trees, carpeted with
green, and rooted with blue The father and
mother bird were there, supporting them in
MS trying hour-leading them on with lively
y notes OF encouragement. Here and there the
wee things fiuttered, growing holder and wiser
every moment, their little world broadening
around them and opening on all sides in long
mysterious vstas Now the parent bird flew
faster and faster, calling back CHEEKY Come
out a spirit of cumulative adventure seized
on their offspring, the strong morning wind
held up their weak wings with chirps of
shrill bravado they dashed on, turned their
tails on the little brown nest under the moss
bank forever, and disappeared under the arch
of the forest After the fitting was COM
pleted, we took the liberty of looking into the
empty house. Here, on close examination
we found to our sorrOwful surprise little
dead bird, snugly embedded in the twigs and
hair which formed the nest and only relieved
by the white feathers of its tail, which stuck
lar entombment.
1t see::- ed to have early departed this life as
lis little mortal remains were now in state
OF almost perfect mummitacton. Had it died
IN tender infancy, of a poisonous insect. or an
lndlgested worm land had its fond, afflicted
mother, unable to part with the tiny corpse,
sat upon 1t like coroner, in indefinite inuuest
Or had 1t been good exemplary, provoking
little fellow, for exceeding virtue and eXasper.
oh, 4. Il.
some Cain of brother-and had the Mortified
heads OF the family purposely kept the murder
ed innocent where his accusing tail would ever
come up against the tratricade? y ore likely
this was the youngest and weakest birding of
the brood, trodden down by lusty brothers and
aspiring sisters or smOthered in an oyerfilled
nest. If so, had an indolent mother, on dis.
covering the catastrophe, felt a pensve sense
OF relief at having one shivering little form the
less to shelter from the wind and rain Had
an industrious father drawn gloomy consola.
ton from the thought that one bill the less
hencelorth be presented to him for the hard
earned worm?
On another morning walk, as we passed un-
der wild thorn tree, we found on the ground
little partly hedged robin He was dead
and, guided by low murmur OF bird voices,
our eyes soon discovered the nest from which
he had fallen 'Rashly importunate" to see
more OF the great green world, he may have
undertaken to fly without parental help and
counsel, and before nature had completed her
evolutionary arrangements but more proba.
bly, he too had been crowded out of an over.
filled nest-not, we will trust, as a deliberate
measure OF domestic economy, but as the I'M
happy result of narrow quarters aud too many
inmates. We can fancy his frightened broth
ers and sisters, peering over the edge of the
nest and striving to make their little short
vision reach all the way down the dizzy spaces
to the spot where lay the unfortunate member
OF their family circle, never more to crowd for
bis place among theU, or cape Tor his share
OF the frugal meal 70 our eyes he had fallen
very little way indeed, but to him it was
quite as disastrous a descent as to the doomed
aronaut in his headlong plunge earthward.
from awful airy heights. 1t was, at all events.
enough to dash the faint principle of lite from
his little breast torever-doubtless Il serious
casualty to him, though to the great, unfeath-
cred world, Of the slightest possible moment.
Yet the world will be poorer, by one robin
song, for that casualty.
The tiny body was yet warm. Our little
daughter took 1t, with fearful eyes, nested it in
her soft hands, murmured over it, and breath
ed upon it gently striving to win it back to
life. All, why could not the child work a beau
tiful miracle OF love- and recall that tender
song-sOu from the silent unknown? She
grew discouraged at last, but held the Door
"baby bind" long iii her hand, mourning and
moralizing over it. And l. too moralized.
though in different and sadder way.
thought OF many home of poverty and ill
paid toll, to which the proverbial blessing of
the poor, goodly flock of children, comes
robbed Of half its joy and sacredness- each
helpness newcomer adding teartuy to the
family cares and privalions, and taking from
Tho ~ ctOr Mt
age. l thought of the households into which
death comes as the melancholy lightener of
weary hands, where even the undertaken is
looked upon not unkindy, as grim friend,
who bears away dead cares and heart-wearinp
anXletles under small coflin-lids, with shrunken
little forms, that will never know HUNGER or
cold any more.
This train OF thought brought back long
forgotten experience of my early girlhood-
the tending and watching beside child OF
some poor neighbors, puny babe, who after
many weeks OF wailing and languishing
moaned itself into the last rest, on its mothers
lap. After the release of the tired little soul
l took the body, worn, emacated absolutely
aged with suffering, and prepared it Tor burial
When at last it lay in its rude cradle clad in
its one decent white trock, its thin hands fold
ed on its breast little image of wearied rest
and quoted pain, the mother, a Sickly, broken
spirited woman, the wife OF a worthless inc
briate, said gloomily, well there's one lit
tie body the less to provide clothes for, and
one little mouth the less to feed" | Thought
her strangely hard and cold, that patient, sad.
eyed mother-but the next moment, her arms
were thrown around that still, wasted body.
her lips pressed against that pale little mouth
"She was always poor puny thing but it's
hard to part with her, for all that" she said.
half apoogetically. "She always had a griev-
ed, pining look, and never learned to smile
but | loved her dearly-better, husband saws,
than all the other six. Yet, can't wish her
back-it's better us it is all around"
One of the saddest thoughts we can have
about children, is of their being "in the way"
in the crowded homes of the poor Every
tenement house overhows with restless, UNI
cared for impressibe young creatures who
throng out into alleys and courts. and become
ready pupils i'll vast shifting schools of immor-
atty aud vice. The poor parents are by no
means always too blame for this Their chill
dren cannot be Gagged up like birds or wild
beasts, nor always watched over and guard.
ed against moral infection. Animal wants
must be met, whatever the spirits needs and
perils.
Among the institutions most called for in
our great cities, are temporary asylums for the
young children Of working people--where they
can be kindly cared for during the day, and
where they can learn no evil. Ragged
schools" admirable institutions as they are,
only meet the wants Of the lowest classes
relief is needed by respectable men and wom-
en-, whose children are too Dung to be sent to
school or put to regular tasks OF any kind.
That invention Of the benevolent Ilerod, the
infant school, was Il desperate effort TO tighten
the cares OF The parents, at the expense of the
health and brains Of the little ones Let us
hsaa mn rpxFt NnI .ts