The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-06-18

"No, not the stork; by God in Heaven,
AS a blessing, the dear white stork was
given. "-LongfeGOlc
"No house so blessed as that wherein
the white stork has built its nest" saws
the voice of the people who live in Hol-
land, Germany, and the regions of the
Northland; "and nothing else brings
the benediction of peace and domestic
joy that the dear white stork does, for
1t sheds over the household something
of its own spirit"
Far back in the days of ancient Greece,
when Priam was King of Troy, and the
beauty of Helen was rousing the Nation
to war, Juno, the jealous goddess, is
said to have changed a sister of the
King into white stork because she
boosted of her beauty, but knowing
that she was as lovely mentally as phys
ically, allowed her to retain all her
amable qualities. Whether this is the
reason of the stork's virtues or not we
cannot tell, but in all the countries of
the Old World it is regarded with an
affection bordering on generation.
Even in the language of the ancient
| Hebrews we find the word used for
stork signifying "pious'' or G. blessed"
Early in the spring OF 1880 a pair of
newly-wedded storks flew over the
town of Lowenberg, Germany, to find a
suitable home for their summer house
| keeping. Those who saw them used
every art to attract them to their
| houses, but in vain. Even the Mayor,
OF Burgomaster, failed to entice them
to settle on his handsome house, where
the chimney seemed to have been built
on purpose for storks nest The
stork husband saw this at a glance, and,
ambitious to begin life under the most
favorable circumstances, he said to his
W fe, in tones quite positive:
ave will build here, my dear; there
is no place like it in the whole town."
But the stork wife replied even more
positively: "By no means, my dear.
Too public, by far. Imagine our dainty
children annoyed from day to day by
| the rafting of carts over the stones, the
4 shouts of noisy boys ON their way to
school, and on Sundays the ringing OF
bells No, no, it would never do. |
have found a most delightful spot,
shaded from the hot sun by the broad
leafed linden-tree, and far removed
from noise and confusion. There we
can rear our little family in seclusion,
and send out into the world storks that
will be an honor to it. Where is itP
On the top of the barn at the cross
roads; not another such place for a
stork's nest in the whole region"
"Just as you say, my DEAR" said his
| storkship; 'Pn bring the sticks di-
rectly."
Slowly the nest went up. Stick by
stick, selected by the stork husband
with great care, and brought from
hedge and forest and orchard, until the
ing been properly laid, and Mrs. Stork
settled herself with satisfied air and
began housekeeping. In few days
| eggs were to be seen in the nest; beau
tiful eggs all notified with yellow. Now
Mrs. Stork took no more long flights
not even to see what her friends were
doing-but she busted herself at home
sitting upon the eggs to keep them
warm. Three weeks passed by in pa
tience, and then one morning the good
creature was delighted by the sound of
young stockings under her wings, chat
tering with their little beaks or mand-
bles, and the stork papa and stork
mamma did nothing but wait upon
them.
Summer days drew near before the
stockings could fly. The air was
parched and heated, and the barn had
become as dry as finder; if there could
only be a shower they would have
strength to try their wings.
"Oh, how glad l am to see that
cloudr' said the stork mamma, as a
little shadow floated above the western
horizon; "all nv fledgelings need is q
shower, and then they will fly to-mor-
row."
Larger and darker grew the storm
cloud, until at last the whole sky was
covered. From the north burst sharp
flashes of lightning that shot across the
heavens. cutting the darkness of the
clouds as with a knife; then the thun-
der began to roll in its grand monotone
over the world but the little storks
were not afraid, for had not their
mother said this was just what was
needed and was she not flying over
their heads telling them what it all
meant, and picturing to them the de-
light they would feel when once they
found themselves upborne by the
dreamy, delicious air in the first ecstacy
of flying.
Suddenly there came crash,
binding light and deafening shock, al
most stunning the brave mother bird
caring so tenderly for her children; and
when she recovered her consciousness
it was to see flames kindling on the |
barn, that would burn like finder, and |
her stockings would be burned to death
in the heat.
Without seconds pause to consider
what might be done, she plunged into
the flames and brought out one of her
children in her beak. She flew to a
meadow near by, where little brook
trickled over pebbly bed, and, laying
her burden under the overhanging al |
ders, she flew back for another. This,
too, she brought to the meadow and !