American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-11-16
WHY THE SWALLOWS STAID


nothing to wait for. The brood was full
ly fledged and strong, the nights were
grown chill; little needles of frost had
more than once found their way to the
guarded nest. Why should they linger?
But Mrs Swallow, needless of her
mates rcmonstrance, deferred the move
for yet another day and another and
still the swallows staid.
1t was droll place which they had
chosen for their nesting under the broad
s'one ledge beneath the Judges chamber
window, and just above the vine-clad
balcony, where the family were wont
in summer to spend half their life. 1t
was Mrs. Swallows doing: she was q
solf-willed housekeeper, and usually had
her own way. In this case she had GER
tainly reasoned well, for from the very
beginning the big neighbors had been
most tender and considerable of the
rights of the little ones. No house
maid was permitted to open that blind
with crash and bang, no child to climb
the trellis; even soap and water were in
a manner frowned upon. "Better leave
the windows unwashed all summer
long" the old Judge said, ethan to dis
turb the swallows nest" Mrs. Swallow
heard him say this; she plumed herself,
looked at her mate with an 6 I-told you
so" air, and he found nothing to reply.
From that day she identified herself with
the Judges family and its affairs. 1t
,Ath fAd he,
which made her so reluctant to fly, Mr..
Swallow was sure; but no explanation
could he get till near the end, when at
last, in answer to his peevish appeals,
she said:
"Don't you guess why wish to stay,
you stupid bird? Haven't you noticed
any thing new and singular on the bal
cony below?"
Mr.. Swallow put his head on one side,
assumed an air of wisdom, and tried to
think. Something new?" he ventur-
ed. "You don't mean the cat day be-
fore yesterday"
"Cat! no. Why should cat make
me wish to stay? How little intelli-
gent you are! Have you not seen that
sweet Luta, who has been so good to US
all summer, who has fed you with
crumbs and seed so often, with cherries
even, and ripe strawberries ?-have you
not seen how she is changed? Did she
ever used to cry there, hushing her sobs
and hiding them in the thick vine leaves?
Did you ever see her do this till within
the last two weeksp Never, you stu
pid!"
"Hum," remarked Mr.. Swallow
" Yes, there did use to be somebody
a gentleman, think
"You think! How dull you are? OF
course it was a gentleman. 1t is always
a gentleman when girls cry in the moon
light among the vine leaves. My poor
sweet Luta! L love her best of all. How
can fly away to the South, as if there
were no heart beneath my feathers, and
leave her in tearsP 1t is impossible.
Here stay till she is happy, if we all
freeze for it,
"Oh dear! oh dear!" moaned Mr..
Swallow. But he dared say no more.
Luta had no idea that her trouble was
known to the tiny family above her
head, or that it affected their move
ment in any way. She had been good
to them in the early summer days now
past, when her heart was light, and SO
full of sunny tenderness that there was
enough to spare even for the birds.
Now she had forgotten them. Frost
had fallen on her happy June. Winter,
cold and dreary, seemed already here,
since that senseless quarrel with Frank
.senseless she called it now that it was
past mending. He loved her, she be-
lieved; she loved him, she knew, but
woman could make no sign. Would he
ever come back?
Every day he passed the house. She
knew his hours, and, hidden behind the |
following vines, watched him furtively |
as he came and went, never looking up
to the balcony as he used to look, but |
with eyes averted or bent on the ground. |
Once, with trembling, nervous fingers
she dared to drop rose which was in
her hand. If she could only once meet
his eyes, she thought, then she should
know. Mrs. Swallow saw the rose fall,
and craned her neck from her perch
excitedly to see what should come of it.
Alas! it was just too late. Frank did
not see the rose, passed on unheeding,
and Luta felt as if he had flung it back
into her face. Her little signal was
failure; she could never venture to let
TALL another. If he had cared, he must
have seen the rose, she thought, bitterly
must have known by some instinct
hat she stood there wishing for him
Only Mrs. Swallow and herself ever
snew of this little incident.
The balcony stretched across the
whole side of the house, projecting over
he quiet street below. The grape-vines
which shaded it were so thick that year
~ year they had to be pruned away to
'pen the lovely view of bay and sails
md distant shores, which else would
lave been quite shut out. Broad, airy,
heltered from sun and wind, it made,
With its hammocks and rugs, rustic
eats and little tables, the most charm
ng of outdoor parlors, and al day
ong the busy family life ebb, Il and
lowed over it from the open W: ,dows
within, like bright, noisy, an! ever
estless sea.
First of all in the morning would
ome a house-maid with broom and