The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-25
ed bread etc., they had slugs occasion.

ed bread ETC., they had slugs occasion
ally, and flies and earth. worms. Once
a day the cage door was thrown open,
and out theysboth would fly to enjoy
the luxury of a bath on the kitchen
floor. One would have imagined that
being only two, they would not have
stood on the order of their going but
they did, at least Dick did, for he in
sisted upon using the bath first, and
his wife had to wait patiently until
his iordship had finished. This was
part of Dicks domestic discipline.
When they were both thoroughly wet
and draggled, and everything within a
radius of two yards was in the same
condition, their next move was to hop
on to the fender, and flutter and look
pensively into the fire; and two more
melancholy looking. ragged wretches
you never saw. When they began to
dry, then they began to dress and in 4
few minutes Richard was himself again,
| and SO was his wife.
Starlings have their own natural
song, and a strange noise they make,
too. Their great faculty, however,
is the gift Of imitation, which they
have in a wonderful degree of perfec-
ton. The first thing that Dick learned
to initiate was the rumbling of carts
! and carriages on the street, and very
proud he was Of the accomplishment.
Then he learned to pronounce his own
name, with the prefix 'spretty, which
he never omitted, and to which he was
justly entitled. Except when sitting
on their pearch singing or piping,
these two little pets were never tired
of engineering about their cage and
everything was infinitely examined.
They were perfect adopts at boring
holes; by inserting the bill closed and
opening it like pair of scissors, 10 !!
the thing was done. Dicks rule of
conduct was that he, himself, should
have the first of everything, and be al
lowed to examine first into everything,
to have the highest pearch and all the
tidbits in a word, to rule, king and
priest. in his own cage. I don't sup
pose he hated his wife, but he kept
her in a state Of inglorious subsection
to his royal will and pleasure. s:Heze-
kiah'' was the name he gave his wife;
don't know why, but l am sure no
one taught him this, for he first used
the name himself, and then it was
only to correct his pronunciation.
Sometimes Dick would sit himself
down to sing song, and presently his
notes Of melody, upon which Dick
would stop singing Instantly and look
around at her with Indignation. s'Hez-
ekiah HeZekiah - he would say,
which being interpreted clearly meant,
''Hezekiah, my dear, how can you so
far forget yourself as to presume to
interrupt your lord and master with
that cracked and quavering voice OF
yours!' Then he would commence
anew, and Hezekiah, being so good ma
tured, would soon forget her scolding,
and join in again. This was too much
for Dicks temper, and HeZekiah was
accordingly chased round and round
the cage and soundly thrashed. His
conduct altogether as husband, I am
sorry to say, was far from satisfactory.
I have said he always retained the
highest perch for himself but some
times he would turn one eye down.
ward, and seeing Hezekiah sitting so
costly and contentedly on her humble
perch, would at once conclude that her
seat was more comfortable than his,
SO down he would hop and send her off
at once.
1t was Dicks orders that Hezekish
should only eat at meal-times that
meant at all times when he chose to
feed, after he was done. But | sup
pose his poor wife was often hungry
in the interim, for she would watch
until she got Dick fairly in the middle
of song, and quite oblivious of sur
rounding circumstances, then she
would hop down and snatch meal on
the sly. But dire was the punishment
for the deceit if Dick found her out.
Sometimes I think she used to long for
a little love and affection, and at such
times she would Jump up on the perch
beside her husband, and with fond
cry side close to him.
.'HeZekiah HeZekiah - he would
exclaim; and if he didn't take that
hint, she was soon knocked to the bot.
tom OF the cage. In fact, Dick was
a domestic tylant, but in all other res
poets dear, affectionate little pet.
One morning Dick got out of his
cage by undoing the fastening, and
flew through the open window; deter
mined to see what the world was made
like, leaving Hezekiah to mourn. It
was before o'clock on summer S
morning that he escaped and I saw
no more of him until, coming out of
church that day, the people were
greatly astonished to see a bird fly
down from the steeple and light upon
my shoulder. He retained his perch
all the way home. He got so we'll up
to opening the fastening of his cage