The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-25
MY STARTLING.

feel very lonely now since my star.
ling is gone. could not bear to look
upon his empty cage, his bath and
playthings, so I have had them all
slowed away; but the bird will dwell
in my memory for many day. The
way that startling managed to insinuate
itself into my heart and entwine it's
affections with mine, I can never right.
ly tell; and it is only now, when it is
gone, that really know how much it
is possible for a human being to love
a little bird. The creature was nearly
always with me, talking to me, whist
ling to me, or even doing mischief in
small way, to amuse me; and it was
often the very best relaxation I could
have had to throw down my pen,
straighten my, back, and have a romp
with Dick.
The rearing of. a nest of starlings is
always very difficult task. and found
it particularly so. In fact, one star.
ling would require half dozen serv-
ants to attend to it. was not master
OF those starlings, not a bit of it );
they were masters OF me. [ had to get
out Of bed and stuff them with grub at
O'Clock every morning. They lived
in a handbook in closet off my bed
room. had to get up again at 4 o..
clock to feed them, again at 5, and
again at 6 in fact I saw more sunrise
during the infancy of that nest of star
lings than I ever did before or since.
By night, and all day long, I stuffed
them, and at intervals the servant re-
lieved me Of that duty. In fact it was
nearly all stut1ing but even then they
were not satisfied, and made several
Intellectual attempts to swallow my
fingers as well. At length-and how
happy felt! they could both feed
themselves and fly. This last accom-
pllshment was anything but agreeable
to me, for no sooner would open their
door than out they would all fly, one
after another, and seat themselves on
my shoulders and head, each one try.
ing to make more noise than all the
rest.
got 50 tired of this kind of thing
at last that determined to set them
all at liberty. / accordingly hung
their cage outside the window and
they all flew, but back they came into
the room again, and settled upon me
as usual. ''Then,' said l, s'I'm going
gardening By the way they clung
to me it was evident their answer was !:
"And so are we.' And so they did,
and as soon as commenced operations
with the spade, they commenced OBJ.
eratlons, too: by searching for and eat.
ing every worm turned up, evident
~ thinking l was only working for
their benefit and pleasure. l got tired
OF this. "Oh, bother you all, Il cried :;
I'm sick of you!'' I threw down nv
spade in disgust, and before they
could divine my intention, T had leap
ed the fence and disappeared in the
plantation beyond.
"NoW," said l to myself as I entered
the garden that evening after my re-
turn, and could see no signs of star
hngs, ''Im rid OF you plaques at last, -
and | smiled with satisfaction. 1t was
short lived, for just at that moment
.Skraigh, skraigh, straight sounded
from the trees adjoining, and before
could turn my foot, nv tormentors.
seemingly mad with delight, were all
sitting on me as usual. Two of them
1ed about a week after this, and the
otners, being cock and hen, I resolved
to keep.
Both Dick and his wife soon grew tc
be very fine birds. I procured them a
large roomy cage, with plenty of SAM
ana a layer of straw in the bottom OF
IT, a DISH or two, a bath, a drinkin 6
fountain, and always supply of fresh
green weeds on the roof of their domi
Gle. Besides their usual food of soak