The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-29
mo,her Robin Gail, a Now a,ete.


that he guards with very great care,
and about which he tells story to all
lhe young and old people who call upon
him.
"1here is a romance" he says, as he
shows you the nest, "abcut this, and II
you want to hear 1t, will tell 1t to
YOU"
ut was good many years ago." my
friend begins, "that this nest was mad,.
There came one morning early In April
TWO robins to the big tlr-trec In front
Of my window. Ono OF them had, rs
sure as you live, a club-foot. and he
hobbled ABOUT upon 1t In very lively
manner, and I know that 1t was this
one--Mr Robia, l call him-that fixed
upon the precise place for tho nest.
For he whettcd his bill upon a bOugh
great many times, and then hc danced
upon it with ono foot and the other, as
though trying it's strength, and ut last
he flew up to Mrs Robin, who was
standing on the limb above looking at
him. My window WAS open, and
heard him pceping the gentlost little
song to her that you can imagine. Then
she jumped down upon the limb, rub
bed her bill upon 1t, and danced, while
he looked at her, and after she had
dono these things she sang tho little
melody. After that they flew away
with great speed, and the next that l
saw Of them they wcre working with
might and main, bringing twigs, moss,
twinc, aud all sorts Of things, until at
last they had tho nest ina 10.
Now my friend, when he g''ts 70 far
In his story, always stops momcht
and laughs, thoughyou cannot sec any
thingto laugh ut. But he looks closely At
you, and Just as soon as he observes the
surprise that your eyes show, hc says:
II ought TO say right here that my
mother had II very choice piece Of lace,
collar or something OF that sort, that
was washed and put out upon a little
bush that very day that Mr. and Mrs
Robin decided to build the nest In the
ilr-tree. u great fuss was made thai,
evening because the lace collar could
not bo found, and mother wanted the
police called, so that the thief might bc
arrested and the collar got back, for
that collar was worth, ! have heard, a
great many dollars. But the police
never found the thief.
"Now l will 60 on with my story
always contlnues my friend, anu he
generally takcs the nest in his hands
at this time. ''Well, after this nest
this is the very one hold In my hanh
was built, you never saw more II.
tsn:ive lover than this Mr. Robin. lie
would hop about with his lub-loOt,
and seem TO put his eye right upon an
angle worms cave every time he flew
down 10 the ground, and you might
soc him from early morning to sunset
hylng back and forth with his mouth
lull Of good things for Mrs Robin, md
he would feed her as she sat upon the
nest.
"Onc day he seemed specially excited
und happy; you could hear him sing
lug In the trees more loudly than be-
fore, and l could SEQ from my window
the cause Of his JOY. Four yellow
mouths were put up to receive the
daintles he had brought, and then !
knew the little robins had come. Woll,
old Mr. Robin was so excited that he
did not see our cat stealthily coming,
ns hc was pulling away at a very long
argle-worm. Pussy had him In her
mouth before ho could give warning
cry, and the last | saw Of Mr. Robl /
was tho club foot that hung out Of
puss's mouth.
"By and by Mrs Robin seemed to get
hungry, and i heard her uttcrlng two
strange notes that | md never heard
before, and which seemed to me to
sound just rs though she was saying,
Como hcrel come hcrc!' or course
thnt was not what she SAID, but have
no doubt that the notes meant Just, that,
and that every robin that mi yht have
henrd them would have understood
them as a call for help. But no robin
came. 1t raincd all that day, and poor
Mrs Robin kept up that cry, and
her young ones continually thrus,
bills from beneath her body, and open.
cd them. ! could not help them, o!
course, for little birds would rather
starvc than be fod by any one but their
parents
"Now am coming to the strangcst
part of my story" my friend always
says when he reaches this point. "rhc
next morning was clear, and happen.
cd to be up early. GA Mrs )bil had
begun her plaintive call. Suddenly |
saw great many robins--not less than
20, should say--tlat hau rC,lnc together
from some place, and rested upon the
branches Of great clm-trcc, or n
the noises ] ever heard from birds,
those that these robins made were the
strangest. AT last they were quiet,
and two Of them ilew of to the hr.trcc
and cautiously made their way to tno
nest. Mrs Robin looked at them, and
sang little trill. One Of the visitors,
with much shaking OF tho head, sans
something in reply, and then the other
one did the Same thing. Mr., Robin
knl l>o &,,iI 4 J. -. :,