The Grange advance., 1873-12-03
Birds In Heaven.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

US, SOmeClme, through CAe AettyeF, WudC
you think about it-whether there will
be eternal life for any Of Gods creation
but man.
Certainly-if we are at liberty to sup
pose that all of the fairest things on
earth will be found again in Heaven-it
is not strange that people should wish to
see birds there.
Gagged birds, when gently and skilfully
dealt WITH become members Of the fami-
ly, and draw to themselves the affection
even of rude natures.
1t is affecting to see how coarse and un-
educated men long for something on which
to lavish affection. Men frequently have
stronger love for a dog, or a favorite
horse than for any human being. Sail
ors and soldiers are famous for their love
of pets. There is an elderly lady at one
Of the resorts on the sea-coast, whose
hens are to her as members of her family,
and who would as soon think of killing a
niece, or cousin, as suffering her hens to
be decapitated. They live joyfully, die
in honor, and 60 to their graves lamented.
A man who has long owned fine
horse, journeyed with him, been borne
through dangers by him, cannot endure
to think that death ends his career. If
the children have been fond Of him, and
he has become associated with the whole
family, he rises out Of the brute creation
and is clothed by the heart and imagina
ton with human attributes.
Mems own lives, sometimes passes over
to the things with which they have long
lived, and it is no wonder that they hope
to see them again in an after life.
But wishes are not prophecies. There
are no revelations and no presumptions
on the fate of animals after death.
When one looks at birds in their wild
liberty, and traces home to their real
causes many Of their charming ways, and
examines their habits, it takes away much
of the romance of bird life. True, their
plumage is beautiful their motions grace
ful, their song most charming. But who
does not know how quarrelsone birds
are? They are jealous, irritable. selfish
and combative. There are no greater
despots and termagants.
1t is not the carniverous birds to which
we allude. Of course, hawks and their
kind will destroy animal life. But so do
Shrikes, Blue Jays, Robins, Cat Birds,
etc. They play scurvy tricks upon each
others nests. They break and eat eggs,
and at times they prey upon each others
young.
The bird life is very narrow. The in
stincts which move it are few; only ru-
diments of intelligence appear, and but
very low degree of affection, while moral
feeling, of course, is wanting.
OF course, there may be birds of para
disc, but we suspect the distance is too
great for earth-born birds to fly, and that
they must needs be nativc-born to the
spirit-land. If any earthly birds are to
be counted worthy Of translation, we
should be glad to put in our plea for the
sparro.cs-not for the English sparrow,
which, we grieve to say, is noisy and
quarrelsome fellow, but for the quaker
like chipping bird, the field sparrow, and,
above all, for the sweetest of all northern
song-birds, the song sparrow.
The nun-like wood-robin, perhaps,
should also be chosen, together with the
canary bird, that most lad dy-ike bird, the
gold6nch or yellow-bird, and the warbling
blue-bird, Of gentle manners.
1t is very amiable to wish to carry for
ward with us whatever has excited admir-
alton on earth. But we suspect it is
like children's wishes to carry their dolls
and toys with them into man and woman
hood. The longings Of youth are often
the contempt of old age.-N. Y. Ledger
"a The Minneapolis Times, of the
25th inst, publishes the following spec.
ial:
ST. PAUL, Nov. 25.-From informa-
tion gained at the Office of the State
Grange this afternoon, it is exceedingly
probable that bill regulating the
freight tariffs on the different railroads
Of the State will be prepared by leading
Patrons of Husbandry and urged upon
the Legislature at its meeting in Janu-
ary. The matter has been much talked
up Of late, but it is impossible to yet
anticipate what the general features of
the bill will be. Charters are being
sent out every day for the formation of
new Oranges in different parts of Min
nesOta.