Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-21

WHAT THE YELLOW BIRDS EAT.-Al
farmer wanted TO borrow gun from a
neighbOr to kill some yellow birds in his
field Of wheat. which were eating the
grain. His neighbor declined 10 lend the
gun for he thought the birds useful. In
order to satisfy his curiosity he shot one of
them, opened his craw, and found in il
200 weevils and four grains of wheat
and these four grains the weevil had
burrowed. This was most instructive
lesson. and worth the life of the poor bird,
valuable as it was WdrSdu UniOn.
WAITING FOR TT.-How these war
memories come floating back. 1t seems
like dream now, but it was terribly real
then. At Olustee, just before the fight,
"Please, SIR" said Pat, an Irish corporal,
Il think me horse wants to roll" Every
well, )" said the captain, "take off his sad
die and let him roll; but mind you, mount
as soon rs he is through. "Yes, sir"
said Pat, saluting and falling to the rear.
There was rush with the Johnnies a
few minutes later. and there was lively
work for the next half hOur. When a lull
came the captain saw Pat sitting quietly
on stump. holding his saddle. Where's
your horse?' asked the captain. "Down
in the field, there, SIR" answered Pat rs-
ing to salute his commander Didn't |
lell you TO mount rs soon as he had done
rolling?" Sure you did. captain. an
it's for that I'm waiting. He hasn't begun
yet" 1t was Pats last sally Of wit. The
poor fellow fell in the next charge.
TOUCHING APPEALs.-From Boston s
Boffin s Bower two touching appeals are
made. One is from young lady, a gra1u-
ate of a high school, whose parents recent
~ died leaving four brothers and sisters
for her TO watch over and support. Brave
ly has she struggled, often going without
food and toiing late ut night. At last in
spite of all she could do, the rent was in
arrears, and she was order ID to vacate the
tenement where she and the children were
living. The little heroine has not lost hei
pluck, but is looking for situation where
she can earn enough to keep the wolf from
the door, The other appeal is made by ;
young woman who has been earning
81 900 year as bookkeeper, but car
find nothing to do now. Il do not care,
she writes, d" TO survive day longer
this miserable existence is not wortf
struggling for. must have something t.
do. 1t is positively cruel for human
being to endure what do"
HOME KINDNESS Home life is the sur
; test of character. Let a husband be eros
and surly, and the wife grows cold ant
unamiable. The children grow up saucl
and savage rs young bears. The fathe
becomes callous, peevish, hard, II kind Q
two-legged brute with clothes on. Th
wife bristles in self-defence. They devel
5 OPP an unnatural growth and sharpness O
5 teeth, and the house is haunted by uglines
, and domestic brawls. This is not wha
the family circle should be. If one mus
t be rude to any, let it be to some one h
7 does not love-not to wife, sister or broth
i er, or parent. Let one of our loved one
be taken away, and memory recalls q thou
sand sayings to regret. Death quicken
n recollection painfully. The grave canno
= hide the white faces of those who SLEEP
!, The coffin and the green mound are crue
r magnets. They draw us farther than w
n would care to go. They force us to re
! member. A man never see $50 far int
: human life rs when he looks over a wife
!. or mothers grave. His eyes get wondrou
@ clear then, and he sees, as never before
}, what it is to love and be loved what it
= to injure the feelings of the loved. 1t is
D pitiabe picture of human weakness whe
those we loved best are treated worst.