Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-07-29
Mother Robin Calls a New Mate.

and about which he tells story to all
The young and old people who call upon
him.
There is romance" he says, as he
shows you the nest, "abcut this, and II
yoa want to hear it, will tell 1t to
you"
''It was good many years ago." my
friend begins, "that this nest was madc.
There came one morning early In April
two robins to tue big tir-tree in front
of my window. Ona OF them had, as
sure 40 you live, a club-foot. and he
hobnled out upon it in very lively
manner, aid 1 know that ir was this
one-Mr Robin, call nim-that fixed
upon the precise place for the nest
For he whetted his bill upon bough
q great many times, and then he danced
upon it with one foot and the other, a.
though trying its strength, and at last
he hew up to Mrs Robin, who was
standing OH the limb above looking ut
him. Ny window was open, and
heard him peeping the gentlest Little
song to her thatyo can imagine. Ihen
she jumped down upon the limb, rub
bed er bill upon IT, and danced, while
he looked at her, and after she had
done these things she sang the little
melody. After that they dew away
with great speed, and the next that l
saw of them they were working with
might and main, bringing twigs, moss,
twine, aud sll sorts of things, until Al
last they had the nest ma 70.
Now my friend, when he gtts 20 lar
IN his story, always stops a momeLt
and laughs, lhoughyou cannot see an! =
thingto laugh at. But he looks closely at
you, and just as soon as he observes the
surprise that your eyes snow, he says:
.'I ought to say right here that my
mother had very choice piece of lace,
q collar or something OF that sort, that
was washed and put out upon little
bush that very day that Mr. and Mrs
Robin decided to build the nest in the
fir-tree. A great fuss was made that
evening because the lace collar could
not be found, and mother wanted the
police called, so that the thief might be
arrested and the collar got back, for
that collar was worth, have heard,
great many dollars. But the police
never found the thi'f.
''Now l will go on with my story"
always continues my friend, and he
generally takes the nest in his hands
st this time. "Well, after this nest
this is the very one hold in my hand
was built, you never saw a more a.
ren.ive lover than this Mr. Robin. He
would hop about with his club-toot,
and seem to put his eye right upon an
angle worms cave every time he flew
down to the ground, and you might
see him from early morning to sunset
dying back and forth with his mouth
full of good things for Mrs Robin, and
he would feed her as she sat upon the
nesI,
''One day he seemed specially excited
and happy; you could hear him sing
Ing In the trees more loudly than be-
fore, and l could see from my window
the cause Of his joy. Four yellow
mouths were put up to receive the
dainties he had brought, and then |
knew the little robins had come. Well,
old Mr. Robin was so excited that he
did not see our cat stealthily coming,
as he was pulling away at very long
angle-worm. Pussy had him in her
mouth before he could give warning
cry, and the last I saw of Mr. RoblI
was the club foot that hung out of
puss'S mouth.
"By and by Mrs Robin seemed to get
hungry, and heard her uttering two
strange notes that l nad never heard
before, and which seemed to me TO
sound just as though she was saying,
Come here! come heren Of course
that was not what she SAID, but [ have
no doubt that the notes meant just. that,
and that every robin that nil ghC have
heard them would have understood
them as a call for help. But no robin
came. 1t rained all that day, and poor
Mrs Robin kept up that cry, and
her young ones continually thrust
bills from beneath her body, and open
cd them. l could not help them, OF
course, for little birds would rather
starve than be fed by any one but their
parents
Nov am coming to the strangeSt
part of my story" my friend always
says when he reaches this point. "The
next morning was clear, and l happen
ed to be UP early. Old Mrs Robir had
begun her plaintive call. Suddenly !
saw a great many robins-not less than
20, should say-that had come together
from some place, and rested upon the
branches of great elm-tree, or
the noises I ever heard from birds,
those that these robins made were the
strangest. AT last they were quiet,
and two of them flew off to the fir-tree
and cautiously made their way to tue
nest. Mrs Robin looked at them, aud
sang little trill. One Of the visitors,
with much shaking of the head, SAM
something in reply, and then the other
one did the same thing. Mrs Robin
repeated her trill, and then she hoppe d
up to the branch above, and sang
another note or two, and the smaller OF
the two robins took his place beside her.