The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-04-20
Singing for q Wife.

Early in the spring we had put up
wren-hOuse on our tall evergreen. 1t
was miniature house, only it had no
windows, and no roof to the piazza !;
and for door it had a round hole, just
exactly big enough for a wren, and no
bigger, else the blue-birds would have
taken it for theirs Now they could not
get in, and only dear wee brown wren
could have it. Our Gretchen was de-
lighted, and danced up and down be-
fore it most of the time. She was
afraid she should not see the birds take
possession. By the middle of June
wrens were in town, fitting around old
messy apple trees and singing every
where. "Will they never come here?"
said impatient Gretchen. Very early
one morning there was a new song
among the robins and fnches. The joy
| full tidings was announced: Chilly
Wren has come" Gretchen rushed
down in her night-gown. Yes, there
he sat on the top of the bird-house
pouring out flood of song. He broke
off suddenly, and popped in the ronnd
hole; then came out and sat ON the pi-
azza, and sang again. "Oh!" he was
saying, "this is the dearest little house.
How happy my wife and | will he
here" This reminded him that he had
no wife yet so he flew to the tree-tOp,
haply to call her. Perched among the
understanding bOughs, up against the
sky, he sang as if he would split his
very throat: "Come, my dearie; o
come to me !"
Across the fields floated the song and
penetrated the thick shade of the or
chard. But she did not hear, did not
come. Again he inspected his house,
and again he sang with a courageous
heart. Jenny came not. He flew to the
orchard, and from every tree-top we
could kear his song, long and loud. The
second day the merry bachelor pre-
pared for his bride by bringing sticks
and arranging them carefully within
the tenement. sOhi" sang he, 81 have
the suggest house, high up above the
reach of cats. Come, wife; come,
Jenny"
Thus day by day the little fellow call
ed and entreated with a stout heart
Gretchen fidgeted and wondered where
the Jennys could keep themselves, when
such charming companion was TO be |
had. The days grew long and dry |
and hot. Blue mists hung over the
mountains, but no rain fell. Swallows |
swan the air in twos and threes. The |
fatherly robin flew back and forth at his /
happy work. The blackbirds launched /
their young brood into life with great /
ado. Only the wren had no mate. We /
g., cd mt hn
and he seemed to sing YEARLY, waiting
and calling all day long for a compan-
ion that came not. Those two weeks
must have been as long to him as two
years to us.
One day we were all gone for walk,
except Gretchen, who sat on the front
doorstep, in sight of the bird-house.
We were away long time, strolling
on the riverside. Presently we saw
Gretchen running toward US. She came
up flushed and happy, her very heart
in her mouth. She caught hold of her
father, pulled his head down, and whis-
pered something in his ear. He laugh
ed, turned, and whispered the same
loud to us: " Wrenny's wife has come"
We hastened home to see; and there
she truly was, as quiet as a mouse, lis
tening while he in rapture expatiated
On all the delightful qualities of the
house and laid himself and possessions
at her feet. She graciously accepted I
him, in proof thereof taking out every
stick he had put in, throwing them
away as so much trash Her manner
said: "What do you bachelors know of
nOusekeeping?" So she built her own '