Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05
Our aJuuns folks.
The Story of a Pet Bird.

The story of Pet Bird.
The following charming account Of a
pet bird, illustrating in a remarkable de-
gree the power Of kindness, was written by
the owner 10 female friend and that
friend, very properly, has furnished a copy
for publication.
All who attended the last meeting Of the
American Pathological Convention, held in
Philadelphia, will remember the wonderful
collection Of fruits, and especially will they
remember the wonderful exhibition Of
grapes, from the fruit establishment OF
Hetty b. Trimble, Of West Chester Penn
sylvania To that lady we are indebted
for the story ofthis little sparrow-her pet
Bessie.
1t is we'll known by others as well as
ornithoogists that female birds will return
year after year to the same home but has
it ever been proved before that the same
couple Of birds remain true 20 each other
as long as both do live Or has it ever
been known before that both the instinct
Of migration and the affection for mate
and little ones have been oyerborne by
attachment to a human friend
Those familiar with the Song Sparrow
TriHgilia HelodiG) will recognize it at
once in Miss Trimbes account We be-
gin to near it now early in Marchl-the
first of the singing birds Of Spring. The
note Is a short one, but exquisltely beauti-
iul-exceeded only by the melody Of the
Wood Robin, Sometimes they are so nu
merous about country gardens that in the
! Il h., ~
ground-swell Of nelody-probably one o.
I the sweetest sounds this side Of the
stars.
am no ornithologist but l suppos,
my little pet was song sparrow littl,
bird of very Quakor-like mage-shade
Of brown and gray, but as trig and neat a
any little bird could well be-
The winter Of SO was very cold. :
young friend who was then living with u
was coming home one evening. and foun,
this little bird lying on a snowdrift, appa
rently frozen to death but holding it il
his hands a few moments, found there wa
a little futtering motion of the heart. IL
ran up stairs to the parlor register, and b.
warmth and kindness brought it to- l
was some days, however, before she recoy
cred entirely. She was then turned loos
in the conservatory, where she seemed per
fectly happy, darting in and out anon
my flowers At first, We heard only yer
timid, low notes from her but as she be
came accustomed TO US, and knew she ha
nothing to fear, there was often one gust
Of melody after another
In the spring the birds began to return
70 bar 4. ,,fb .,,- l.
a. well as others but she paid no hee
to them for some time. However, one da
we were startled by a long, loud cry from
her, so unusual that every one ran into tn
conservatory to see what had happened
A little bird was on the outside, trying t
get in The window was opened she flew
to meet him and such a joyous meetin;
as it was. The meeting OF human love r
after a long separation could not NOR,
plainly tell the story of affection. Soon
snow squall came up and she was to-
tender to breast it, and tapped at the win
dow to be taken in. She remained yer,
contentedly until the weather was quit
settled Now came her trouble HI
wanted the nest to be built in cedar tie,
some two hundred feet from the house
she would not 90. He pcrched himself il
the tree and sang his most charming mel
odies while she, on top Of the SMOKE
house, near the house, answered him JUS
as sweetly. But she would not bulge
from the position she had taken. Aftei
the second days maneuvering, he began tC
give in, little by little approaching the
house. Finally, they compromised the
matter by building the nest in a gooseherry
bush, near the smoke house. This was
not to her mind but still it was better
than the far. off cedar tree
In time four pretty little brown birds
made their appearance. As soon as they
were out Of the nest, she coaxed them to
the house, where her feed-table and bath
tub were always ready for her Such a
pretty, happy little family they were!
The next nest was Just where she wanted
tin jasmine bush trained around one OF
the parlor windows. From this nest came
three little birds.
Her table and bath-tub were again
brought into the conservatory-the flow
ers now being out of doors. The side
sashes were always open, and she brought
all the family to feed and battle just as it
pleased her; and, the glass doors into the
parlor being also open, they would fly
through and through the house as if it was
out Of doors.
Cold weather came once more, and the
mate and young birds disappeared but
Bessie did not 60. She tapped at the
window, and was warmly welcomed to her
quarters amongst the flowers in the con-
Here she spent another gay, happy
winter and it was a constant source Of
pleasure to US to watch her pretty, cum
ming ways, and listen to her sweet songs. /
In the next spring (1850 Bessie's
owner moved away, and she fell into my
very large legacy.
As before, the birds returned in the /
pring but Bessie was quite Indifferent
0 them all. But one day, while we were