The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-09-30
HOW MARY BECAME A BIRD.
BY CONSTANCE RUTHERFORD.

"AH, Mary, Mary, fear Youwlll never
be neat and tidy!" exclaimed Mrs. Mason
as her little daughter ran to her, herapron
soiled and her dress torn.
but, mother, couldn't help it this
time. l did try"
"No, my child, you say that so often,
yet you do not improve. Take your little
chair and think how many times this
week you have torn your dress and made
the same excuse"
1t was springtime and her chair was
near the open window. Mary began gaz-
ing at the clouds that tloated across the
blue sky while the soft breath Of May
tossed her curls off her brow.
Think, Mary; wish my little daugh-
ter to be careful and neat. Begin and
count; how many times has your poor lit
tie dress been torn"
"Let me see, mamma! once at the gate,
once after the squirrel across the fence
that is ttoo times; once at the plum-oh,
dear me there is one time at the violet
bed, then the hens nest in the barn--I
don't believe can count them. There
are more times yet!'
The tears ran down the checks of the
little girl as by her simple arithmetic she
discovered that her dclinquencies had
been without number.
"Sit there, then, dcaric, and try to
think how pleasant it will be when you
are careful and can assist mother, so that
Ellie can run to you 10 help her be tidy,
too"
Mary was oppressedwith weariness and
her restless little feet could scarcely re-
main quiet, so the gentle words of her
mother failed to dispel the cloud from her
usually sunny brow. Nevertheless, Mary
was beginning TO try to think, when two
mocking- 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 bird No face
to wash, no curls to tangle, no dress to
tear Iwould go where | pleased and |
could sing all day long"
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
messy brink of a streamlet, and she saw
her own reflection in the water-a verita-
BILE bird! She could not believe her eyes,
but looked again and still the image was
the same. To try her found powers
she scared up to the overhanging trees,
and, returning, alighted beside her guide.
"Oh, am so gladw she said, and q
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 them
selves or their young; so she had to doso,
| too.
After flying fro m 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
chow dark and cold," and her weary
wings dropped long before they rested
from their flight. In the deepest wod
they finally stopped, and our tiedged Mary
tucked her head under her wing" to
keep 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.
"Oh, the owl! the owl!' screamed the
birds as they heard the dread Whoo-
whoo 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 newt energy to
their weary wings. In their consterna-
ton all flew they knew not WI Aere. At
last, half-dead with fright, podr Mary
dropped into a little bush on the @lge of
field far from the forest Here SIN rest
ed little; but she sat with feaf 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, aud toward morn
ing she slept.
| When she awoke how distressed she
was! 1t was raining, and 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 cc.,ld muster she sought her feathered
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
| hunnry tba mar l;ftlo h,rd t,,rnad ouav