American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-05-07
THE BLACKBIRDS' NEST.

aetlnct Will Oh uull utSpdlr
MORO PERM. in Hdrper's Magazine.
d..
- , THE BLACKBIRDS' NEST.
Put it back. Jim. Do put it back. Z"
..Why?' Jim whispered, with a
startled glance along the wood path.
lis the master in sight, Ned?"
1--WE are in sight of the Master,
Tm.''.s ~
Jim drew long breath of relief, and
put his finger into the open mouth OF
one of the unfiedged bIackbirds. :. You
frightened me for a moment" he said,
''but | see you were only talking Sum
pay-school stuff. OF course, as Squire s
forbid us to touch the nests here, we
must mind he doesn't see, that's all.
ssPut it back. Jim, lad,' pleaded the
elder boy. without resenting his COM
panion's sheer. "lt's as much home,
you know. as, Your own cottage; and
those four little blackbirds can no more
live and grow if you destroy it, than
your baby sisters could live ano grow if
they had no home and no mother.ns {
81 amt har1ning' the mother" NUT
tered Jim. Il
..Suppose- your mother came home
one night. after her work. feeling hap
py, and thinking of the rest she would
have in her own snug little house,
where you would all be locking out for
her. and just when she came close up
to your cottage-just at the old lilac
tree by the gate. you know-she looked
up and saw there,were no little ones to
meet her, no bright little room to rest
in. no sign, even, of where the dear old
home had been: if you could see-her
then. Jim. would you say that nybody
who d taxen it all away hadn't harmed
hcrP' -:0%;. . v
81 don't kno~ nothin' bout that"
stammered jim. modify. cit amt
got TO do with nest. The old bird can
make another" a. ~ ~ !,
2 ;. suppose your mother could find
anotirer cottage, but would it be the
same without you and the babies?"
: -.it's very different" grumbled jim.
but little less desiantly now. X 80
Father says the mother birds often
die of grief when they find their nests
gone. You'll put it back, JimP''
Not very likely, when I've had all
this fuss to get it,
Just put it back for ten minutes,''
pleaded Ned. $50 ss'
.And take it again after?''
Yes, and take it again after-f you
like"
"What good would that doi'' inquired
Jim, with q laugh.
..Just put it, back for ten minutes,
while l tell you a story" 49,
You II promise not to talk Sunday
School stuff when L take 'em back
again. or tell the master, Or serve me
any sneaky trick like that?'
Il promise. STAY, rH help you put
The nest back in exactly the old spot"
"Pll do it myself" returned Jim,
II fetched it myself
first. and RI fetch it again when your
.ale's over. There. I've put it."
:. Look, Jim! lookr' cried Ned, joy
July. That blackbird flying straight
20 the tree is sure to be the mother.
Aren't You glad the nests there now?''
Ten minutes amt very long" OBJ
'erved Jim, as he threw himself at full
ength on the. turf, looking longingly |
Up at the branch on which the nest was
quilt. while the white blossoms of the |
fell upon his upturned face
i. I'm safe to have 'en i'm ten minutes |
O. do what / like with. Now. then,
or the tale Is there a giant in it?''
- Not this time" said Ned. gently. |
It's only about myself and the chill
lfcu dilu iuOtHcT- 1E8t WSAl DC ike |
lack the Giant-Killer, and Robinson
ong, Jim. was a %ery little chap,
nd the twins were dots of things. and
Iaby only q month or SO old. Father
worked for the master here, and loved
i'm as all the men do now; but didn't
pye him, because he wouldn't have us
'0ys take the eggs or nests. But one
ay, whepsT was going through this
cry woods, and nobody was by to see
ne. I took n tifrush's nest with five
my tiIrostles in it. I hid it in the
asket was bringing to mother, and
vent OF SO cheerfully, remembering
re- had an old wicker cage at home.
nd thinking how I'd put the birds in
!. and watch how they'd manage to
edge; and how I'd burn the nest it
fss dry and crisp. and would burn
mightn't be found
ut. Mother was sitting by the fire
ursing baby (poor mother was sick
hat time, and baby hadn't ever been
ely. and 1 went behind her to the
age, and put my birds in without her
sefng, for | knew well enough how
ned tell me was wrong to disobey
,e master, and cruel to the little crea-
Tres I'd stolen. l didn't care to be
I'D that. for 1 wasn't sorry, and l 1
idn't want to give mother the chance
spelling my fun by any of her quiet,
,eeches about the other Master--up
lere beyond the blue-who cares for
very little bird in every tree. l had
lenty of opportunities for slipping [
way TO the dim cOrnerwhere the cage
as, for was let stay up waiting for ]
tthcr; but at last mother sent me to i
I'd. | slept In a little bed in a corner =,
the kitchen, so it wasn't the same as
ping upstairs; and 1 watched the i
md of the clock go round. for ,
,u'dn't sleep for thinking how queer
y orphan birds looked, and how I
alous some of the lads at school {
en2d be. saw mother get TO look |
hitter and whittier, and tireder and (
-rder; but father didn't come home. I
hen baby began to moan. and mother '
IT up and walked about with her, and {
watched how troubled she looked. | +