Sharp County record., 1881-03-17
THE EMPTY CAGE.

"Sweet, sweet" said the canary.
80, you think So" responded the
Doctor, who had come in and was seat
ing himself at his study table. "Well,
l am rather of that opinion myself; but
keep still about it now, will you?"
Their conversation referred to the
weather and all outdoors generally, as
seen from the open window. The long
tresses of a weeping willow came watt
ed lightly across it with every breath of
the fragrant June air. The emerald
greer lawn, the blossoming shrubs and
roses, the humming of bees, the voices
of children at play, the singing of birds,
made q bewildering combination of glad
ness and beauty, at least for one little
feathered throat to express. But if
Dickie thought so. he evidently meant
to do the best he knew toward it, With
low, long-drawn liquid notes he COM
menced the performance, and was soon
started in full career.
"Shut upr' called out the Doctor.
Rude words to throw at dear little
fluffy dafodil of a birdie! But Dickie
knew how to understand them, accom-
panied as they were with such merry
glance. He didn't shut up while you
count ten. On the contrary, he pro-
ceeded to sing louder than before. His
pretty yellow body slightly swaying in
his fervor, his nervous claws clasping
the perch, his throat inflated, he poured
trill upon trill, lark notes, nightingale
notes, bell notes, a perfect shower and
medley of notes without stint or pause
till suddenly there came jerk and
then a dead silence.
The Doctor laughed little silently.
He had reached out his hand and
twitched a piece of twine that hung
down, fastened to one foot of the cage.
Evidently it had known service of this
kind before. A few minutes perfect
silence followed. Dickie never did
know what to make of that phenome-
non. 1t was new surprise to him every
time, and always effectually silenced
him for the time being Now, he edged
along his perch to the side of the cage,
and craned his neck so as to bring one
eye to bear downward upon the Doctor
sitting, innocence itself, his open
book before him on the study table.
"Give it up" thought Dick, consider
ing him moment; and he posed for a
new burst. The low, long g-drawn liquid
notes RECOMMENDED. The Doctor started
up. "Come, old fellow, he said,
"there' something too much of this"
and lowered the cage preparatory to
conveying it away out of hearing.
"S-w-e-e-tm pleaded Dickie.
"Yes, it's altogether too sweet, "
mutterbd the Doctor, and was proceed
ing, thu cage in his hand, toward a
closet 9oor, when compunction seized
him.
"Wsll, no, Dick" he said, 81 won't
be so hard on you a day like this.
Come, you shall 60 out into the midst
of it, aud split your throat if you like"
and passing on to his mothers room,
he hung the cage outside her window,
and returned to his book.
He had studied without further inter-
ruptiop a long time, when there came a
gentle knock at the door, and in obedi-
ence to his summons, little JEANNE
Green entered-her modest face, with
its golden curls and blue eyes smiling
beneath her white cape-bonnet. At the
Doctors kindly greeting she came to
him. please, sir" she said, "mother
sent me to ask you what she can do for
her finger. It's awful sore and aches
way up to her shoulder. She's just
walking the floor with it, and she says
if it doesn't get better she's afraid she
won't be able to do the work at the In
firmary you want her for tomorrow.
She hadn't q wink of sleep all night.
There isn't silver nor anything in it,
and she can't remember any way she's
hurt it."
"Is that SOP" said the doctor. "rm
afraid it may be a felon, JEANNE. Tell
your mother to poultice it and use
plenty of laudanum. That's the best
She can do, but l can't promise it will
help the pain very much. FL stop in
and see when l go round, in an hour or
two"
Yes, sir, I'll tell her. Doctor, is
that canary singing out your side win
dow?"
:" Yes, Jeannie."
"Why! l thought it must be some
other kind of bird. They don't many
of them sing that way, do theyP"
The Doctor smiled "Well, no." he
said. q never saw one before that
could make quite SO mucn noise as ne
does"
"Noiser' thought JEANNE, wonder
ingly, as she softly lett the study. well,
| don't believe | should ever call that
noise, not if could hear him."
Dickie was pouring out more ecstacy
when she returned past the side Win
dow. She couldn't resist stopping Il
moment at the fence to listen. Dinah,
the Doctors colored servant, was
=. roaatn s9me pieces on the grass