The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-07-28


The servant Of my grocer, a sharp
boy named Joe, told rae he had lately
/ seen in the streets large and hand
some pigeon, with scarlet-tipped wings,
purple tail-feathers, and a small, we'll
shaped comb, like the cocks, upon his
head. This was a staggerer-a pigeon
with = cocks combi The freaks Of col
or in feathers might be accounted for,
but the comb! No, it was impossible;
/ the cOIJtHlbB were too widely distinct
I from the galliBR. questioned the lad
/ he declared it was true, and that he
had seen the bird often. He calculated
/ be knew pigeon, and he knew what a
comb was. This was a fine sleek bird,
with knowing look, and not q bit
/ skeery.
II this is true, thought /, will knock
the naturalist edgeWiSe. A pigeon with
a comb! must have that bird. I will
I give him, to Mr.. Thornbury as a subject
\ for lecture. He will 90 back to Dar-
win, even. viii write to Darwin my
self It win be a favorable opportunity
to get an autograph letter; for, Of
course, the great man viii acknowledge
/ my service in the cause Of science.
Joe" said I, ''if you can catch that
bird in a trap-alive, I mean, and with
out injury-I will give you SO"
The boys face frightened with a keen
intelligence, and he said, I'll try
I visited Mr.. Thornbury, and gave him
the news. Our discussion was animat-
ed and long, but it need not be repro
duced here.
I had stipulated with Joe that, in case
he should catch the bird, he should take
the trap direct to my friends house.
Meanwhile the pigeon had been seen
| By many persons, and it was nOised
about in the grocery and provision
stores Of the South End that his phe-
nOmenal ornaments had excited great
interest among savants. Joe had
| moreover, eXpRtiated upon his expected
reward, and had promised to take his
''girp' to the theater on the strength Of
When at length Joe made the capture,
and started of. with the prize in the
grOcer's wagon, he was followed by a
curious crowd I got the word, and
started also. By the time I arrived
there were q dozen persons in the front
yard. Joe had already alighted with
the box, and taken it indoors.
Mr.. Tooke ThOrnbury, in his best blue
coat. and with eyes that cleaned be-
hind his huge glasses, stood waiting for
the trap to be opened.
There the pigeon was, as bright q
creature as ever was seen, with purple
tail, et-tipped wings and q coral
comb. The bird. ran about the room
without fear, but did not choose to be
handled.
Mr.. ThOrnbury's emotion was ex-
treme. Shades Of Hunter and Button,
Of Owen, Agassiz and. Aristotler' he
calculated. 'tAm to be one Of you
/ known to after-times as one Of the great
cO-Ordinates Of science? The COLUMBIA
ThOr8blfE5i shall mark a new era in
classification. Now we will see if the
Director Of the Stubbs Institute, who
has refused to invite me to lecture, will
delay longer the acknowledgment of
my talentsF'
Meanwhile the lively bird kept hop
ping about, gracefully eluding capture.
Mrs Thornbury Was'uncOnsciOus Of the
/ gradually increasing audience, as he
/ talked and meditated by turns. The
eatry and doorway we're wellflled with
1 eagerly curious folks.
There was a slight rustic, then a voice
and a quick footstep. A buxOm and
saucy girl bout y years of age, in q
short dress and wearing long braids Of
yellow hair, rushed in, saying, in q tone
that was like scOlding and crying at
| once, Il declare it's too badI Billy,
pretty Billy, eOmen'
She held out her hand, and the bird
rose on his wings and alighted on her
finger. There therer' she said sOOth-
ingly; pretty Billy, kiss mer'
The bird put his bill to the fun red
/ lips. and gave an audible COO Of. delight.
''Now, Joe Saunders, she said, turn
ing to the grocer's boy, ''yOu see if you
don't catch it! My pa says there's alaW
against setting traps for birds in the
/ city. Yes, poor Billyr' she said, caress-.
| ing the bird again, ''they were going to
cut you up (giving q sPiteful glance Is
Mr.. Thornbury), "but they shanft-no,
they shan't."
/ Ny feelings Vent through as many
! phases as the cOlOrs Of a dying dolphin.
There was a pathetic as well as a comic
side to the scene. The face Of Mr.,
/ ThornbuTy was a study for a picture OF
Tacuity. He was at his wits end.
Iventured to calm the girl wrath by
admiring her pet 'ThOse are very un-
usual coIOrs, Isaid, pOintingtO the pur-
pie and scarlet tips.
-"Oh, I did that" said the girl, gaily.
| siPapa's carmine ink on the wing feath-
/ ers and violet on the tail feathers.
Aren't they pretty? Kiss me, Billy?n
1sButs his extraordinary cOmbn'
1 gasped Mr.. ThOrnbury.
Here the girl laughed outright, while
her merry eyes shOne and her fresh
color came.
'.Pretty nice, isn't it? cut it out Of
red felt. See the nice smooth ridges
! Just like a real comb! It's stuck well,
hasn't it? Fish-glue doesn't soak of.
Nice Bfllyr'
And the pretty iend dandled the Or
nithOlOgiCal monster up and down.
while be clung to his perch on her I'm
| ger, and now and then auttered his car
mine-tinted wings and spread his violet
tail.
Say goodbye to the gentlemen"
said the girl mischievOusly; and away
/ she went.
There was not much to be said (from
a scientific point of view, and l was in
haste to settle with the gTOcers clever
boy, and be gone.
/ feared that Mr.. ThOrnbury would
be prostrated with the shock. but it is
singular to observe the elasticity Of
great minds.-F. H. Underwood, IL
HaTpel1S Magazine for April.
Quilts and OoVsTlsts.
Very effective quilts are made in Gpo
piled work on unbleached cotton sheet
ing. A pattern Of yellow fruit or flow
ers with leaves is cut out in cOlOred SER