The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-08-28
A LITTLE STORY FOR GENTLE
MEN

Once upon time a crow and black
bird stood on a fence-rail conHersing.
They stood, but that was their way OF
sitting, for they were quite at their
! ease. The blackbird looked gratefully
up to the large relation who spoke to
him so kindly the crow, who wears
/ Sunday clothes all the week, and
! couldn't be more digni6ed, even with
! spectacles, spoke as follows:
You blackbirds are doubtless aware
| that we look upon you with tender adj
Ihirauion /; in fact, some have gone so
far as to consider the blackbird Hea-
ven's first best gift to the crow"
{" First best gift how pretty - said
the blackbird and he straightway made
it into a little song.
+" That's right, " said the crow; &" I am
pleased with you; we don't sing our
| selves -becaw-becaw" here he
| set his head on one side and stopped to
ponder. .-...-s.
Because you can't ?" suggested the
blackbird, respectfully.
g Not at all, % said the crow "it's be-
Gavin fact, it's a question of spheres.
Our sphere, you observe, is the world :;
for instance, we see to the weather, and
preside over eern-pllntings, and hold
conventions, and continually prepare
new theorens concerning that still un-
fathemed mystery; but why Cypress
with these pOnderous themes a little,
simple songster ?" ze.f
f"But you would, perhaps, explain, -
said the blaekbird, with Difference.
% refer to the question, the question
of this and preceding ages, why men,
when they have prepared us a field OF
corn, end by stretching unmeaning
lines across it, and even erect strange
beings, with spreading arms, in the
midst. These things do not help us );
on the contrary, they are unpleasantly
bewlldering. Why, then 4? 1 never shall
rest until 1 find out why. !"
That comes of your logical mind, 3"
said the blackbird.
.'-' am pleased with you," said the
crow, and getting down from the fence,
ne stepped about on the ground in a
highly superior manner.
g How distinguishedl9 - thought the
blackbird. "And we, sir ?"
-'t fou? uh-haw. We do all these
things, and you sing to as while we are
doing them. You've no idea how in
spring it is to us, when we are engaged
in these important matters, to know
that you are sympathizing at a distance,
shifting your nice little tunes to all our
changes, and setting, so to speak, our
lives to music. Haw I" '7r r-r---.
90 o how swGet!'' said the blackbird,
beginning at O1rce to whistle it. "But
suppose, he suggested, lust suppose,
yoH know, -thab-some7 of us didn't like
ways of living ?''>-- -----
"That wouldn't do at ALL" said the
crow, coming back. "You must be
fond of singing. a crow without a
blsckbird to ameliorate him It might
subvert the unities. Haw !"
Still, if we shOuld, said the black
bird, with timid persistence.
&c. g Then, said the crow, severely,
"yOu would lose your influence ;" and
again be got down from the fence, and
stepped about. 49,
I -5tfDear, dear, said the litHs one.
trembling. "Il never do it. Please,
sir, what is influence g.
Influence, my child, is that beauti-
ful--haw Lthati tipdescribable- In
short, it means that, if you only take
pains TO lind out what we like to do, you
can almost always soothe us in doing it.
But, whatever .You may think of our
dOings, always remember that our
high-toned nature cannot brook cen
sure, and that the only way to preserve
your influence is to meet us with
song" .---,-..
. III IL try, to remember, the blackbird
said, and they parted. -,- -rhFsfH 3
Z @ The -iext day, Jack and Jenny
Blaekbird we're happy, feeding their
| first brood
"There's shoulder for you," said
| Jenny. "SWeet, sweet, spread out
your wings Think they'll fly by to-
morrow" "---...-- ... -.. .a-.-r.
ls II consider this a really remarkable
mouth" said. Jacky, dropping worm
in it. g I don't see why, with our So
cial advantages, we couldn't train them
to be almost equal to crows. I'm sure
our cousin viii visit US. And he says
if we want to keep on good terms we
must always meet him with a song, and
be constantly careful not to lose our
influence" .-..---, G. -.
q What's that ?" said Jenny. Do see
| how Ire balancesl He'll certainly fly
by tomorrow"
t"I don't know exactly; but we keep
| it by letting them have their own way,
and especially by singing; and if we
tlose it, they'll be sure to despise us. "
Il F." You don't say sol" said Jenny.
{. That we couldn't endure. All, Hea-
ven above, what's this ?"
! For something suddenly swooped
! down into the nest, and carried off the
hedgling in it's talons.
so cousin cried Jacky, "you've
made a mistake, you've got our eldest
/ child F'""-''
isYes, Pm quite fond of them, % said
! the large cousin, affabIy What a
/ nice little pair you are But why don't
/ you sing As told you, we always ex-
/ pect to be met with a song"
50 But you've got our child, . screamed
! Jenny; :" o you are hurting him"
=" I won't hurt him more than must, -
said the crow, considerably. "But,
] pardon me if I notice hnw an absence
Of that serene cheerfulness which ought
! to be distinguishing blackbird trait.
What, still no music Then 1 begin to
suspect
Let us try our influence" gasped
Jaclzy Is perhaps it may soften" And
/, they began to sing wayering song.
g How improving that is p said the
! crow, with a claw suspended. Really
there was one instant when 1 felt so ex-
alted that was on the point of putting
the morsel back in the nest. If il
hadn't been quite so Juicy. However,
may be I won't come back for more. p"
s'StiIl let us sing" said the parents
them al. ." And while he was picking
the little bones, they sang until theiT
voices failed with anguish.
Soon their large cousin left, but next
! day he returned. ..-..
g I regret, :" he remarked, " that you
fail to bring me more fully under your
4 influence. A little mole would have
done it. But I feel assured that the
sight of so much patience. and humility
viii have an indirectly exalting effect
ON my nature. And he clawed out an
other birdling.
90 cousin, don't I" cried the parents,
no longer singing. Don't take our
children don't make us so unhappy 7
t,,--"sIherev Is something quite a1niss
here, said the crow, with displeasuTe.
BlaciNbiris waiting and expostulating
prociaiming themselves unhappy in
their relations with ns2 Why, that Is
as much as to say that we do wrong
And how impOlitic for them to scream