The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-06-21
To the Boys, in Particular.

ful deniZens OF our gardens ana groves
should fear harm from the hand of man?
that his eve and ear should be so dull
as TO find no charm in their untaught
melodies. in their forms of perfect grace2
/ Yet not more strange than sadly true is
it, that boys, and children of larger
growth" can find delight in the destrue-
ton OF these harmless creatures. One
could not believe it, did not every day
witness these noble bipeds sallying forth
armed with deadly weapons and on mur-
derous thought intent, and At night re-
turning with a dozen robins, jays and
bluebirds, proud trophies ota well spent
I day w ell. and why not: II is such
sport ~ hear them say. | Will tell
! you, nay young friends. There Is not
much use in talking TO man whqs would
shoot a little bird; but when YOU become
/ a man. remember what | tell YOU now
/ these little birds were not made in vain,
/ nor merely ID furnish sport for the
/ idle Their wise creator formed them
I for an important use; if YOU destroy
them YOU Illustrate his plan, and nature
! always suffers when the laws and plan
of God are disregarded You have prob.
ably heard your elders speak of the great
increase of the various tribes of cater
/ pillars, and that the fruit is not so fair
as of old; but knottv and worm eaten.
/ Yet l suppose that You, nor perhaps
! they either. ever dreamed that the de-
struction of the birds had anything to do
with the case You would realize it,
could | tell how many bugs, and worms,
and flies were frequently found in the
crop Of q single bird. | cannot tell the
numbers, but have been astonished at
the amount as certified by credible wit
nesses Farmers and gardeners are be
/ ginning to find out that birds are their
most useful allies. Nothing in the in
sect line comes amiss to their dainty
looking bills, from the aphides upon the
rose hush to the hideous and disgusting
caterpillar And if they sometimes treat
themselves to ripe cherry or a tempt
ing strawberry, who can blame them, If
after such dinner they fancy n little
fruit by way OF desert. And how do
you know but their quick eye perceived
q worm in the very cherry YOU grudge
them "The laborer is worthy OF his
hire" and man can we'll afford this CON-
pensation for their tireless industry.
BoYs, SPARE THAT BIRD-I know of
few things calculated to disturb one
equanimity of mind, or rutfie the feel
ingS of a humane man. one who lives
among animals and birds, and feels as
if they were all personal friends, than
to see a struggling thing called man,
with rustv musket or rife, creeping
about our highways. orchards or wood
lands, and popping away at harmless lit
tie creatures, who give to the landscape
half It's charms, and to t.ie eye and ear
halt their pleasures.
know these men cannot look upon
birds as | do, or they would not have to
he guilty of homicide, to know what the
sensations of a murderer are when they
wantonlv destroy these denizens of the
air. I plead not for the parrot or the
GROW. but for the beautiful songsters that
greet US in the morn with hymn lu.ter
over our heads, and exhibit an lnstlnc-
tive happiness that would reconcile the
most morbid misan thropist t,to lie and its
cares | never hear the song OF the spar
row. that with us is usually the hrst har-
! binger of spring, without feeling OF
oladness that the winter is over and
gone and the time of the singing of
birds is come, and this feeling Is in
creased, day after day the blue bird,
ribn. yellow bird, hoholink. thrush,
oriole and swallow successivclv arrive
and enIiven the groves and fields with
their presence, and fill the air with their
music.
AS soon as the birds appear among Us
and begin to build their nests, n set Of
idle aud miscreant boys commence an
noying them, and take their eggs, and
often destroy their nests !; and
seasons Of the year a set of ru
vagabonds provI around through
I l., \
dy, TO shoot down every robbin, sparrow
and even the diminutive and harmless
wren. either of which are rendering
more service to the community. proper
! ton TO their ability. than their numerous
prosecutors. Did they love birds as
do-did everyone delight in hearing their
gladsome notes. few, very few, would be
the birds destroyed But cruel as it is
/ to take the life of the innocent birds that
! build their nests and rear their Young,
! in the shruhbery around the meadows
| and groves, we have in days past, we are
sorry to say. been guilty of such acts of
cruelty. Gladly would /. if | could
restore to life every innocent bird | have
been guilty of destroying bat it Is too
late. For mere sport. multitudes OF the
+ feathered tribe are destroyed By wantOn
I bows and the gun of the fowlers. For
/ having been guilty of such acts, al
most think l can excuse myself Like
other boys l was fond of sport, not
/ withstanding such sport resulted IN the
death OF those creatures that had an IN
doubted right to live. | can call to
mind many times where have been well
nigh affected TO tears in Witnessing the
death struggles Of the little warblers
that have fallen at my feet, pierced With
I teaden missiles. Often too have called
70 mind what L Estrange in his fables
saws. in regard to the observation made
by some frogs to some froiicksone boys,
4.-children you do not consider that tho
t..is NAV be sport to Won, it is death 70
us" Sporting for pleasure and destroy
} ing the innocent creatures God has made
is indeed cruel pleasure. To me. il
seems right to spare the creatures He
has made. especially the birds. iuasmuch
as everything was made for some good
and wise purpose: therefore. my young
friends. beg YOU to spare the birds