Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-07

hnger was pushed well through the bars
OF ner cage, she caught it, and bit it to
Inc pone: He screamed Justify, and Pollv
cnuck!ed over it for long time. Her
disposition is rather interesting and ORIG
mai than aimiable
Although she is past thirty, her man
ners are youthful Her love of practical
Joking is pre-eminently Juvenile trait of
character. She coaxes all new corners to
scratch poor Poll" and she holds down
ner mead lnvitingly, hoping to be able to
give thelr unwary fingers squeeze. But
Sne IS sometimes swayed by softer feelings.
Wnen her friend the cat comes in, cold
ana wet, in bad weather, Polly has been
neard to say, compassionately, poor poor
russ! poor Pussy" She is gentle with
ner owners, allowing them to ruftle her
feathers, and to display to admiring spec
tators her beautiful, shell-like little ears
liberty which stranger could only take
at his own risk and peril; but even with
her best friends her affections showed it.
sell rather IN passive than in active WAYS.
She permits them to take hole of her and
10 pet her, but she is not lavish of caresses
IN return.
Polly is not only clever at originating
conversation, but is also particularly hap
Ply at repartee. A maid, who had been
bitten by Polly, tried to vex her, and sue
ceeded by contradicting all Polls favorite
utterances. "You are not dear bird :;
you are not poor good Polly; you are not
pretty Polly" etc. Polly bore it quietly
for long time, being no doubt employed
by thoughts of vengeance, and at length
she asked very pertinent question. She
said, (Which is the nicest!" evidently
thinking that she could bear comparison
with her tormentor in the matter of per-
sonal appearance. Some declared that
that remark proved Polly to be 'uncanny"
-witch-like. Her opponent was com
pletely silenced by it.
She rarely says anything Inappropriate
Now and then she said it was "a very fine
day" when it was not particularly bril-
liant weather; but others besides Polly are
prone to make similar meteorological re-
marks at hap-hazard. Every says, at
one time or another, that it is rather
chilly or that 1.-The evenings are drawing
in, 1.-The days getting shorter" with
view of saying something; and when we
| talk for ''talk's sake' our theme is usually
the weather. Polly's ordinary converse
ton chiefly consists in complimentary re
| marks about herself, which no one with
taste and judgment can deny; and when
ever she takes the trouble to put new
| phrase together, it's always thoroughly
suitable and happy; in short, a great rhe
torical success. Her observations are
| much more brilliant than the remarks
made by the members of our INDICATE CO.
| terie. Polly's last sayings and doings are
often our topic, and some of our set have
| told anecdotes of other birds, illustrative
OF their intelligence or of their affection
ate nature. One story was about bish-
nYNt, ,,..l IL,
palace was in commotion. The bishop
asd his retainers went into the garden and
out through the grounds in search of
Polly, who was at last discovered
on the top Of high tree. All the
| party gathered round the foot of the tree,
| looking up at the runaway, and wonder
ing how it was possible to induce her to
come down and be caught. AS his lord
| ship and all his people stood there, uncer-
tain what to do next, Polly glanced at the
| congregation below her, and said, Let
US praym The bishops bird must have
had a keen sense Of the humOr ms.
Another anecdote was a very pathetic
recital of the death of canary 1t died Of
grief. The canary's mistress was a young
girl who had long been hOpelessly ILL., The
day before she died, she asked some one
| to put the cage near her pillow. She al
| lowed the bird to hop out, and 1t lit on
her face, kissing her over and over, its
little wings half open, and quivering as
the mother-bird's wings CULVER over the
nestlings. Poor birdie was evidently
greatly .gitated. 1t was put back into
its cage and next day it and its mistress
were both dead
They told another tale of canary bird
| which acted as the medium for a ClandeS
tine correspondence between a young lady
and gentleman, who lived about a mile
apart. The young people had few oppor-
tunitics Of meeting, and much to say to
each other, and the canary became their
| lcttcr-carrier 1t would have been very
| awkward if the bird had made any mis-
take in the delivery Of the billet doux,
| but luckily it proved itself to be thorough
| ly tWorthy.-L0ndon Graphic.