The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1862-10-11
for the gittle folks.
BE KIND TO ANIMALS.

alone-your parents and friends
but do you show a tender care for
animals which he has made, in a
measure, dependent upon your mer-
CIV and generosity! Are you gen.
ae to the dog that follows you so
faithfully, and the cat which sits be-
side the hearth? Do you grieve to
see even a beast abused? / will tell
you story about kindness to ami.
mails, which may help you to under
stand and remember what | say.
THE TAME THRUSH.
will give you an account of a
little bird, which was the delight of
a whole year in my childhood, and
which | can never speak or think Of
without tender regret.
found the bird in the hands Of a
little ragged boy. who was so cruel
as to rob nests whenever he could
find any. 1t was a brown thrush; a
beautiful kind of bird, with spotted
breast and chestnut-colored back and
wings. But this poor little thing was
scarcely fledged, and as the boy
thought it would soon die, succeed
ed in getting it from him without
difficulty. carried it home, and
tried to feed it, but it was too young
to pick up food, SO | was obliged to
open its billand drop in few crumbs
and little water. 1t was almost
starved, and my care was soon re-
warded by its recovery and rapid
growth. In a few days it learned
to eat, and soon afterward to fly.
1t usually sat perched upon cor
ner of the mantle-piece in my room,
and at night would roost upon the
bed-post,t though l often found it close
beside me when / awakened. but
was very much afraid it would
leave me, for the summer was ad
vancing, and the doors and win
dows were open all day. Once it
flew into the garden, while l stood
at the window, waDching its little
brown wings flutter among the BUSH
es. and crying as though my heart
would break, for fear it would new
er return. At last l called to it, as
l had often talked when stroking its
glossy feathers, and TO my joyful sur
prise it came flying back as if glad
to find me again.
After that l had no fears, and it
grew tanner every day. 1t learned
TO follow every member of the fam
lily. though it knew me as its mistress,
and would always fly to my should
er when left the house, and sit bal
ancing its little weight as ! walked
over uneven ground, and pushing its
soft head against my cheek. When
ever l visited my plavmaies my
thrush went too: and if we wished
to leave it in safety while we en-
gagged in a game OF romps, | had on
" to make a house for it Of my sun.
bonnet, and it would never come
out.
We lived little out Of the town,
in the quiet Enclosures of universe
ty.so that [ had nothing to fear from
the cruelty of boys in the streets,and
my favorite was soon known and
loved by all within the college
grounds.
At last it learned to follow my un.
Gle when he went to his college rec
itations; and it was a wonderful and
pleasing sight indeed TO see the grave
and learned doctor walking slowly
along the path, absorbed in thought,
with the little brown bird hopping
gayly behind him! When he reach
ed the recitation room, the bird
would fly upon the edge ofthe desk,
and sit there as grave as an owI, until
the class was dismissed. TO the great
amusement of the students.
In the house he was equally tame
and gentle. My little cousin-a ba-
BY Just able to sit aione--was delight
ed whenever it would alight near
her, and with the indulgence always
shown by animals toward the advan-
ces of children, it would allow her
10 draw it after her by its tail, hop
ping backward without any appar-
ent Inconvenience. Whenever sat
down to my task Observing. it always
seated itself upon the window-sill, II
beside me, or else hid in my lap, and
no movement of mine ever seemed
10 disturb its content.
Do you wish to know what be-
come Of this dear little pet! My I'M
Gle caught another thrush, which
had seen more of life in the woods,
and would not stay with US, unless
twas put in a cage; so the two birds
were placed together until winter
was over, and then we opened the
cage door and let them fly out. They
each took a mate from the many
thrushes that visited the garden, and
went away to build their nests. But
severel times through the summer ]
saw one bird linger on the garden
fence after the other had flown, and