The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-02-22
Mother 0arsy's Chickens.

We know what the swallow and the
nightingale tell US when the April sun
shine brings them back to US, after the
dreary months Of frost and snow. They
tell us that the winter is past, and that
summer is coming, as bright and as beau
tiful as it was last year. And Mother
Careys Chickens, too, have story Of
their own, though il is a very different one.
The swallow is bird of the homestead /;
the nightingale of the woodland but the
home Of these is far away upon the sea.
They know nothing Of fields and flowers
the song they sing, il song You choose to
call il, is only long whistIing note, with
the echo Of the tempest in il. Their de-
light is in the wind and storm, and it Is
amongst these that their whole life is
spent.
No bigger than our sparrows and chat
fnches, they brave the fercest weather.
The widest tempest is but summer
breeze to them, and the hurricane, which
threatens the tossing ship with destruc-
ton, causes them no terror Yet they
have no protection, save the loving care Of
that Great Creator who has given them
power almost to walk upon the water.
Aided by their outstretched wings, they
seem to run up and down the waves; now
deep in the hollow, now upon the very
crest, with the foam dashing over them,
never pausing to take breath, never alight-
ing, never weary; and the same hand
which upheld Peter on these waters up
holds these little creatures amid all the
dangers which surround them, and this is
how they came by their real name Of
Stormy Petrol, the meaning of the word
Petrol being ''little Peter.
"Mother Carey's Chickens is the pc.
culiar name they are called by the sailors
it sounds like pet name, but / am afraid
instead of being loved, they are hated and
feared by them, because when they come
they say that wind and storm are sure te
come too. They are seldom seen in the
calm and sunshine, but let the clouds gath
er, and gloom settle over the ocean
waste, then, as if by magic, forth spring
the Stormy Petrels, following in the wake
of the vessel in focks, and filling the ali
with their cries.
The sailors think the Petrels bring tn,
storm, but as it is the approach of th,
storm that brings the Petrels, they ough
to be grateful to them for the warning
they give. They live upon the small fish
es and insects they collect as they run, Al
we'll as the oily matter which floats on tn.
surface Of the sea, so that their flesh be
comes so full Of oil, they are often shot By
the inhabitants of the northern countrie.
to do duty as lamp They run piec,
of cotton through their bodies to serve Al
a wick, and then it viii burn as brightly
as a candle. They also throw up kind
of oil for the feeding of their young.
But where are their nests and where
are the homes of these wanderers of the
ssaY They seem to live upon the foot
and the wing, and to know no other resi-
save the tossing, heaying waves. 1t i.
only at breeding times that they resort to
the shore, and there in the creyices Of
the loneliest rocks each lays single egg
The egg is Of beautiful pure white, excep,
that at the larger end there is a circle Of
pink clearly marked, yet so faint and
dreamy, 1t looks like the reflection Of some
sunset cloud hanging far away over the sea.
The birds are black, except a band Of
white on the upper part Of their tail feath-
ers. They are found In every region, hot
anu cold seems all the same TO them, ii
they only can have water to walk upon
and the stormy wind to watt them along.
All | wish you and | could learn the
Petrcl's secret Life is very full Of storms
and tempests they may come-they will
come-even to you. But if we could only
glide quietly through them as they do,
what happy thing ii would be- And We
may do it, if Gods peace is in our hearts.
Then let the waves beat and the winds
rise, they will not really harm US, they
will only help US on our way, and we shall
be calm and still and trustful amid life's
cares and trials, as Mother Carey's Chick
ems upon the oceans billows. English
Magazine.