Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-05-25
Inc Blackhlrd's Nest.

Slance along the WOOu PAIN Is the
master in sight, Ned?" We are in
sight of the Master, JIM" Jim drew
long breath of relief, and put his finger
into the open mouth of one of the unfiedg-
ed blackbirds. :" You frightened me for a
moment" he said, "bnt see you We're
only talking Sunday school stuff OF
course, as Sguires forbid US to touch the
nests here. we must mind he doesn't see.
that's ALL" Put it back, Jim, lad"
pleaded the elder boy, without resenting
his companions sneer. Its AS much a
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 and grow
if they had no home and no mother"
" amt harming the mother" muttered
Jim. Suppose your mother came
home one night, after her work, feel
would have in her own snug little house,
where you would all be looking out for
her, and just when she came close up to
your cottage-just at the old lilac-tree b.
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 anybody who'd taken
it all away hadn't harmed her?" IL don t
know nothin bout that stammered jim.
moodily. 1t amt got to do with a nest.
The old bird can make another"
suppose your mother could find another
cottage, but would it be the same without
you and the babes?" It's very differ
ent,n grumbled Jim, but little less de-
family now " Fatler says the mother
birds often die of grief when they tind
their nests gone. You'll put il back, ,Jim2'
" Not very likely, when I've had all this
fuss to get it," " just put it back for ten
minutes" pleaded Ned. And take it
again after?' y " Yes, and take it again
alter-if you like " What good would
that do? inquired Jim, with la gh
" Just put it back for ten minutes while
tell you a story" You Il promise not to
talk Sunday school stuff when take 'em
back again, or tell the master, or serve
me any snctking trick like that?
promise Stay, I'll help you put the nest
back in exactly the old spot I'm do
il myself returned jim, ungracously.
" fetched it myself first, and I'll fetch
it again when your tales over, There,
I've put it," Look. Jim. look! cried
Ned. ioyfuly. " That blackbird flying
straight to the tree is sure to be the mother.
Aren't you glad the nests there now?
" Ten minutes amt very long, OBJ
served Jim, as he threw himself Mt full
length on the turf, looking longngy up at
the branch On which tue nest was built,
kl,-anfns Of ba l., hnr
fell upon his upturned face. I'm safe to
have 'em in ten minutes to do what | like
with. Now, then for the tale. Is there a
giant in il? - Not this time, said Ned,
gently. 1t ; only about myself and the
children and mother That won't be like
Jack the Giant Killer, and Robinson Cru
soc, will it, Bat the story isn't lon Jim.
was very little cnap, and the twins
were dots OF things. and baby only a
month or so old Father worked ior the
master here, and love- uim ts all the men
do now; but didu'. .ove him, because he
wouldn't have u 0Oys take the eggs or
nests. But one day, when | was going
through this very woods, and nobody was
by to see me, | took thrush, nest with
five tiny throstlas in it. | hit it IN tn
basket | was bringing to mother, and
went off so Cheertully, remembering We
had an old wicker cage at nome, ana
thinking how I'd put the birds in It, and
watch how they'd manage to tledge; and
how I'd burn the nest-t was dry and
crisp, and would burn beautitully-tha
mghtDt be found out. Mother was sit
ting by the fire nursing baby (popr mother
was sick that time, and baby hadn ever
been well), a. d | went behind her to the
cage, and put my birds in without her
seeing, for | knew well enough how she'd
tell me WAS wrong to disobey the master
and cruel to the little creatures I'd stolen.
didn I care to be told that, for | WASH
sorry, and | didn't want 10 give mother
the chance of spoiling my fun by any oi
her quiet speeches about the other Master
up there beyond The blue who cares fol
every little bird in every tree. had
plenty OF opportunities for slipping away
10 he dim corner where the cage was, for
was let stay up waiting for father; but
at last mother sent me TO bed. slept in
little bed in a corner OF the kitchen, S,
ii wasn't the same as going up, stairs; and
watched the hand OF the clock 60 round
for couldn't sleep for thinking how queel
my orphan birds looked, and how jealous
some of the lads at school would be.
saw mother get to look whittier and winter
and tireder; but father didn't come home
| hen baby began to moan, and mother gol
up and walked about with her, and
watched how troubled she looked, Then
| fell asleep. 1t seemed like the middle
of the night when | awoBe, and | jumped
up, for | seemed to know in Il second thai
everything wasn't like other nights. The
cottage door was wide open, ana there Wit:
mother standing there, looking out into
the darkness, and listening. When | wen
up to her. she just put her arm around my
neck. but she didn'. look AT me; she only
looked into the darkness.
g" Come in, mother, | cried; yor
oughtn't 10 stand here while you are ill.,.
But she only stood there trembling, till
baby Logan to cry and move restlessly in
her cradle; then mother came in, and tool
her up, and held her close TO her neck
sobblng as I'd never heard mother sol
before in all my life-never. | neld tc
her, and begged her to stop, bat | was
crying myself too all the time. And still
father didn't come. | was silly lal, Jim
and wicked one, but | wasn't II coward
anu so begged mother to let me go W
to the hall to ask about father For Il long
time she wouldn't, but at last | got hei
just to whisper yes in her crying, and
was only too eager to set off She came
10 the door with me, still shivering, ant
holding baby wrapped in shawl; anC
while she kissed me she whispered some.
thing | couldn't hear; but suppose il
didn't matter my hearing, as she wa.
speaking up to Heaven. | wasn't ong in
reaching the hall, for knew every incl
of the road. and could run safely enough
even in the darkness. | went up through
the yard, and when saw a light in the
saddle-room, | knew one OF the groom:
was sitting up tn take the masters horse
and went in at once. 1t was Tom Har.
ris, and of course | was sorry, because he
hated father, and didn't like me; but who.
ever it had been. l should have gone in
then to ask for father. Tom scolded mt
first for startling him, then he laughed al
my questions, and then be got cool again
and stared at me.
- You won't find your father here, he
said you wont never find him here
again. He's turned off. The master won
have nothing more to do with him. You'd
best 60 and ask for him at the public, for