Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-03-27
A Story for the Boys who Kill Birds.


"Hullo!" said Will Burke and Charles
Flynn to Jamie. Come along with
us We are going to have fun we have
got our pockets full of stones, and we
are going to kill birds with them. It is
the best fun in the world.
Now, Jamie was a thoughtless little
fellow; and when another boy asked
him to do thing, at it he went at once,
without SO much as thinking whether it
was right or not SO he filled his pockets
with stones, and began running and
shouting with the other boys.
"Hullo there's chirping bird, said
one "TI him." "Look at that robin, y
bawled another send stone at him. :"
l am happy to say that these boys missed
their aim generally for their intentions
were much worse than they had skill to
execute.
Now, Jamie's mother had been sitting
at her window watching the whole affair;
and she stood up, and called in very
quiet way, Jamie, come up here L
have something to show you
Jamie went up to his mothers room,
all painting and hot, and began, "Mam-
ma, what do you want to show me ?"
She washed his heated face and hands,
and then took from a drawer a small
black box which she wound up with a
key like a watch-key. As soon as the
box was set down, it began to play
most beautiful tune, and Jamie was as
tonished and delighted
"What a curious box % said he.
Who made it %
81 do not know" said his mother
g but why do you think it is curious ?"
Why, it is curious to see musical
instrument shut up in such little box
Why, I could carry this about in my
pocket. / wish it was mine; I'd set it
going, and put it in my pocket some
day; and then / would make the BOYS
stare"
But" said mother, " if you think it
is strange to see a musical instrument
put in little box, what would you think
if 1 could tell you of one which was put
in birds throat ?"
In birds throat p said Jamie !;
g who ever heard of such thing ?"
"Well, answered his mother, "there
is boy in this room who has been listen
ing this morning to little instrument
which is inside of birds throat, and
which can make sweeter music than this
box, and yet he did not seem to wonder
at it at all"
Jamie looked wonderingly at his
mother.
When You went into the fields, did
you not hear the innets and thrushes
playing on little instruments in their
Threats, and making all sorts of sweet
sounds Look now at your little canary
bird hanging in the window, and see
when he sings how his throat trembles? 2"
-" oh know what you mean now, :"
said Jamie; "you mean my little canary
bird is like music box Well, but what
sort of an instrument has he got in his
throat I'm sure 1 don't know"
Why, he has a little, fine, soft flute,
that can play as many notes as piano. -
ga flute in his throat ?' said Jamie,
laughing. "What funny thing p
at is even so,'' said his mother.
"The little pipe through which the
canary bird plays his tunes is more curl
ously made than any flute which any in
strument-maker ever formed-it is so
small, yet SO perfect. It is made of
elastic rings, and fits into his throat so
easily as never to interrupt his eating or
breathing and it turns which ever way
he bends his head. Now, did you ever
hear of any musical instrument that was
as curious as this ?"
"Well, it is SO strange" said Jamie a;
81 might have heard bird sing month,
and never have thought of all this
And yet, Jamie, little boys go out
into the woods and fields, which God
has filled with beautiful trees and flow
ers, and with hundreds of little happy
birds, all so euriously and beautifully
made, and amuse themselves with throw
ing stones at them, and killing them. .
Young Crusader.