The Shasta courier., 1872-03-09
ayes, don't YOU think SOP"

replied Mr.. Spence. "My daughters have
no time to waste after that fashion, and
cant see that am under any obligation t.
support other peoples daughters in idle
ness"
"Jennie Elder is no idle GIRL" said Mr.
Egbert little warmly
"Don't you call that idleness ?"
"No; its both rest and IMMIGRATION
The ten minutes spent with those birds
will sweeten her life for whole day. She
W Il hear them chirping and twittering a.
she goes about her household duties, and
be stronger and more cheerful in conse
quencc.
Mr.. Spence shook his head but moi
with the emphasis of manner shown little
time before. A new thought had come
into is mind A bird had flown 10
through the window of his soul.
Work, work, work, every minnie of the
day" said NJ Egbert, sis not best for
anyone-nor best for Jennie Elder, nor for
your daughters nor mine"
Nobody said it ~as," replied Spence.
"But-but-"
His thoughts were not very clear, and SO
be hesitated
"The rest that gives to the mind cheer
fn tone. makes it stronger and healthy is
the true rest, because it included refresh.
Eaent an invigoration.
"Nobcdy denies that" said Mr.. Spence.
"And may not Jennie's ten minutes
with the birds give her just the refresh
ment she needs and makes her stronger
for the whole day ?" IF not stronger then
more cheerful, and you know how much
comfort to house hold cne's cheerful spirit
may bring"
"You have such way of putting things
rel lied the neighbor in a changed voice.
II never saw it in this light beft re.
Cheerfulness-oh, dear am weary look
ing at disconted faces. If feeding birds
at the window is an antidote to fretfulness,
| shall recommend my children to commence
at once"
"Let the birds come first to your window,
said Mr.. Egbert.
"Oh. I'm too old for anything like that"
was replied.
ITO the windows of your soul. I mean" !"
Spence shook his head. "You shoot too
high for me-"
Thoughts are like birds-right thou, hts
like doves md sparrows, wrong thoughts
like hawks and ravens. Open the windows
of your mind, and let the true thoughts
come in. Feed them. and they will come
to you and fill your soul with music They
will bear you upon their wings; they will
lift you into purer regions. You will see
clearer and feel stronger. You will be a
wiser and happier man."
81 never did hear anyone talk just as
you do, Egb, rt" said the neig hbor-
s.You look into the heart of things in such
way"
If we get down to the heart of things
we're all right" was the smiling answer
"And now | want to know how much We
may count on from you toward Mr. FL
der's salary. Open wide the windows.
Let just and generous thoughts come in. :"
"As much as last year; perhaps more,
I'll think over the II. latter" was replied
While sitting at dinner with bis family,
on that day, Mr. Spence broke the con
strained sleuce-the usual accompaniment
of their meal-with the words:
81 saw a beautiful sight this morning"
Both the sentence and the tone n which
it was spoken were surprise. A weight
seemed removed from everyone-a shadow
fell from each dull countenance. All eyes
were fixed il inquiry upon him.
"Jennie Elder at a window. with the
wild birds feeding from her hands and sit
ting on her shoulders" added Mr.. Spence.
'Oh, yes; I've seen it often" said Mar
garet, his oldest daughter, light breaking
over her face. "Jennie is so good and
sweet that even the birds love her, wish
they would come to my window"
"You must ask JENNIE her secret" said
the ia her, with gentleness in his voice
that was such surprise to Margaret that
she looked at him in wonder. Mr. Spence
noticed and understood the meaning OF her
look He felt it as revelation and a
rebuke.
The dead silence passed away. First
one tongue and then another was uuloosed /;
and in little while the whole family were
in pleasant conversational thing so un-
usual at meal time that each one uoted the
fact in kind of bewildeied surprise.
Mr. Spence opened the windows of his
soul still wider. aud let the singi birds
in All the hours Of that day he poudered
over the new IDEAS suggested by his neigh
Dor; and the more he considered them the
clearer it became that there was better
way to secure the happiness of himself and
faulty than the hard and barrow vne he
had been pursuing. Minds needed some
thing as well as bodies. Tastes aud feel
ings had their special needs. Soul hunger
must be satisfied.
As he came home from his shop that
evening be passed store, the windows Of
viii, were filed with cages of singing
birds. And as his eyes rested upon them,
he remembered how often he had heard
Margaret wish for canary; and how he
had often said, "Nonsense you've got
something better to do do than wasting
YOUR me with birds"
Mr.. Spence saw things in a different
light DOW
"She shall have bird" be said speak.
ing to himseli, and tnrned into the store
"Oh, father, not for me p