American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-10-09
HOW MARY BECAME A BIRD.
BY CONSTANCE RUTHERFORD.

HOW MARY BECAME A BIRD.
BY CONSTANCE RUTHERFORD.
"AH, Mary, Mary, fear you will neve
be neat and tidyl" exclaimed Mrs. Masol
as her little daughter ran to her. her apron
soiled and her dress torn.
"But, mother, I couldn't help it thi
time. Ibid try" 'rfa =
mo, my child, you say that SO often
yet you do not improve Take your littl,
chair and think how many times thil
week you have torn your dress and made
the same excuse"
Itwas springtime and her chair wa.
near the open window. Mary began gaz
ing at the clouds that fioated across the
blue sky while fheksoft breath of May
tossed her curls off her brow. sfiaa -
| "Think, Mary 4-wish-my little daugh
| ter to be careful and -neat.F Begin and
count how many times has your poor lit
tie dress been torn 81 s.ss 81. +.
"Let me see, mammal once at the gate
once after the squirrel across the fence
| that is tsoo times; once at the plum-Oh
dear me there is one time, at the violet
bed, then the hens nest in the barn
don't believe can count theml There
are more times yet!''
The tears ran down the cheeks of the
little girl as by her simple arithmetic she
been without number.
"Sit there, then, dearie, and try to
think how pleasant it will be when you
are careful and can assist neither, so that
Ellie can run to. you to help her be tidy,
too" -. ..sE5 ~ ~
Mary was oppressed with WEAKNESS and
her restless little feet could scarcely re-
main quiet, SO the gentle words of her
mother failed to dispel the cloud from her
I've ri oIa
was beginning to try to think, when two
hooking birds flew through the shrubs
and flowers one poised himself on a
blooming vine, and in an instant the
whole air thrilled with melody. She caught
sight of the free, beautiful bird and sighed
inaudibly:
"Oh, how wish was a bird. No face
to wash, no curls to tangle, no dress to
tear. would go where pleased and l
could sing all day long" i-
The little girl leaned her face on the
window and watched the bird as he sat on
the spray above her, trembling with grace
and song.
Suddenly he scared away, and Mary,
too, saw herself borne with him ON magic
wing high into the air. She beheld
around her the trees of the wild woods
and heard the songs of many birds.
Her bird companion alighted on the
her own reflection in the water-a verita-
BILE birdl She could not believe her eyes,
but looked again and still the imagewas
the same. To try her new-found ;,owers
she scared up to the overhanging trees,
and, returning, alighted beside her guide.
''Oh, 1 am so glad!" she said, and n
burst of her own song startled her.
She would gladly have sung all day,
but the birds were all busy among the
g l. f0r- fhnr,
selves or their young; so she had to do so,
too.
After flying from rocks to hedges, from
trees to streams, and from fields to hills,
her new energy tagged. When the even
ing shadows came on she thought she
would surely rest now; but no; away,
away they hied over field and farm to the
deep forest.
When the damp breath of the swamp
sighed through the trees she thought
show dark and cold," and her weary
wings dropped long before they rested
from their fright. In the deepest wood
they finally stopped, and our fledged Mary
tucked her head under her wing to
keen her head warm. The chirp of her
companions cheered her, and she settled
herself for comfortable nap; but sud
denly noise broke upon the silence, and
pair of bright eyes glared in the dark.
ooh, the owl! the OWL" screamed the
birds as they heard the dread WHO'D
WHO'D are you?' and in widest alarm they
flew in every direction The cries of one
poor little bird that the owl had caught in
creased the terror that lent new energy to
their weary WINGS In their consterna-
ton all flew they knew not where. AT
last, half-dead with fright, poor Mary
dropped into a little bush on the edge Of
a field far from the forest. Here she rest
ed little; but she. sat with fear and
trembling, dreading some new disaster.
Her wings were heavy, her feathers rum
pied and torn. In this sad plight she sat,
dreading the awful whoo-whOo of the
owl; but she was safe, and toward morn
ing she slept. 1s...-s..-,. ~
When she awoke how distressed she
wasl 1t was raining, ard she must find
her breakfast. She was SO stiff and wet
that it was nearly the time that little chill
dren are at school before she could find
ANYTHING to eat. When she had swallowed
her scanty breakfast with the best grace
she could muster she sought her fcathered
companions.
They had found shelter in some thick
cts, and though it was raining they all
seemed cheerful but poor Mary, whose
soiled plumes and dropping wings made
them all sing out:
"Shame on the lazy bird. We must
have light wings to fly aud clear throat
to sing"
Sick at heart, weary and worn, wet and
hungry, the poor little bird turned away,
and, with bitter sigh, exclaimed:
Mother, o mother! what would not
give to be near you againi'
Overcome by these sad thoughts she
sank toward the ground, and suddenly
found herself upon the cool mating of
her mothers pleasant sitting-room. She
looked around bewildered; there, sat her
mother sewing, and above her the open
window with its interior festoons Of lace
curtains, and without there swayed the
vine, and beyond floated the creamy
clouds.
In perfect delight she jumped up, say
ing; "Oh, mother! I am so glad ii was
only Il dream. l would not be n bird tor
the world! Mother, how | love you. ana
! promise to try to be neat, tidy child as
long as live"