The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-10-10
earning Star and Catholic Messenger.
JUVENILE COLUMN.
NOW MARY BECAME A BIRD AND WHAT
CAME OF 1T.
2 ORLEANS, SUNDAY. OCTOBER 10. ls75.


soiled and her dress torn.
nBut, mother, 1 couldn't help it this
time. did try"
. No, my child; you say that SO often, yet
sIo;r and think bow many times this week |
I.on have torn your dress and made the
same excuse.
It was spripgtime, and the chair was
H near the open window. Mary began gaz
inc at the clouds that ioated across the
I hl1e sky while the soft breath of May
+ tossed her curls off her brow.
Fl "Think, Mary; wish my little daughter
Fl to be careful and neat. Begin and count,
how many times has your poor little dress
h been torn Z"
Fl .sLet me see, mamma once at the gate,
once after the squirrel across the fence
f that is two times; once at the pium-oh,
f dear me! there is one time at the vloiet
bed, then the hens nest in the p, barn
don't believe 1 can count them lhefe are
more times yet I" -.
The tears ran down the cheeks OF the ut.
E tie girl as by her simple arithmetic she dis
E covered that her delinquencies had been
L without number.
Gsit there, then, dearie, and try to
think how pleasant it will be when you
are careful and can assist mother, 30 that
f Ellie can run to you to help her to be tidy,
too"
= Mary was oppressed with WEAKNESS,
T. and her little feet could scarcely remain
quiet, SO the gentle words of her mother
failed to dispel the cloud from her usually
sunny brow. Nevertheless, Mary was be-
ginning to think when two mocking- birds
few through the shrubs and flowers one
poised himself on blooming vine, and in
f an instant the whole air thrilled with mel
+ ody. She caught sight of the free, beauti-
fui bird and sighed inaudibly:
ooh, how wish was bird. No face
to wash, no curles to tangle, no dress to
tear! l would go where 1 pleased and
..,J5 Gin all 1av lnnDO
The little girl leaned her face on the
window and watched the bird as she sat
on the spray above her, trembling with
grace and song.
too, saw herself borne with him on magic
wing high into the air. She beheld around
Fl her the trees of the wild woods and heard
the songs of many birds.
Her bird companion alighted on the
< mossy brink of a streamlet and she saw
e her own reflection in the Water-a veritable
bird! She could not believe her eyes, but
looked again, and still the image was the
same. To try her new found powers she
f scared up to the overhanging trees, and,
returning, alighted beside her gulde.
ooh, am 80 glad !" she said, and burst
of her own song startled her.
She would gladly have sung all day, but
the birds were all busy among the stones
and turf, gathering food for themselves or
III their Young; 30 she had to do so too.
II After flying from rocks to hedges from
her new energy tagged. When the even
+ ipg shadows came on she thought she
f should surely rest now; but no; away,
away they hied over field and farm to the
% Forest.
When the damp breath OF the SWAMP
sighed through the trees she thought chow
dark and cold" and her weary wings
drooped long before they rested from their
flight. In the deepest wood they finally
stopped and our fledged Mary tucked hei
head under her wing" to keep her heat
cheered her, and she settled herself for I
comfortable nap; but suddenly noise
broke upon the silence, and apair of brigh
eyes glared in the dark.
"Hh, the owl the owl" screamed tn
birds as they heard the dread "Whoo-
81 WHO'D are you9" and in widest alarm the!
flew in every direction. The cries of on
poor little bird that the owl had caugh
Increased the terror that lent new energ.
to their weary wings. In their consterna
At last, half dead with fright, poor Mar
dropped into alittle bush on the edge of
field far from the forest. Here she reste
little; but she sat with fear and tren
bling, dreading some new disaster. ne
wings were heavy, her feathers rumple
and torn. In this sad plight she sat, dreaC
ing the awful "whoo WHO'D" of the owl
but she was safe, and toward morning sh
slept.
was! 1t was raining, and she must fin
her breakfast. She was 80 stiff and W.
that it was nearly the time that little chile
rem are at school before she could find any
thing to eat. When she had swallowed h
scanty breakfast with the best grace 81
could muster, she sought her feathere
companions.
They had found shelter in some thicket
and though it was raining they all SCENE
cheerful but poor Mary, whose sole
plumes and dropping wings made them
sing out;
"Shame on the lazy bird. We mu
have light wings to fly, and clear throi
to sing"
Sick at heart, weary and worn, wet an
hungry, tie poor little bird turned ava,
and with bitter sigh, exclaimed:
"Mother! o mother! what could n
give to he mar Won AGAIN ~