Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-28
A Chicndpe Lesson.

md dumb; she never lisped nor turned in
ner toes, and her hair curled. How could
,uch child be unfortunate
She had something dreadful the matter
with her temper. Nobody could tell why, but
It was fearfully out of order, and her mamma
was sorelv puzzled what to do to set II In
order. II Nettie had had cold she would
have gone TO her "domestic physician
and found out that belladonna and acoDite,
Or rheum, or PHOSPHORUS was TO be given,
which, with warm foot bath, and lemon
with sugar, would have put an end TO 1t in
twenty-four hours. II she had had the
scarlet fever or whooping.cougb, or had
sprsined her ankle, Dr.. Bright would have
come, and with very little medicine and q
great deal Of pettng, Nettie would soon
have been as well as ever. But neither DIR.
Bright nor the domestic physician had
any prescription for an ailing temper.
"No-o.oo-w !" whined Nettie one day, al
do believe Won have been letting Freddie
get hold of Frizzalinda Jane, nurse Look
how rough her hair looks"
"Oh never mind that, dear. See, can
brush 1t smooth in O minute"
al won't have it brushed. ! shall tell
mamma about IL. Let it alone, say"
Nettie seized the brush and flung IT away.
It struck bottle which stood on the end Of
the mantle-piece, and stream of glycerine
ran down from the broken bottle. Just
under IL was stand on which was nurses
work-basket.
"Noo-oo-w Nettie's whine this time
was more like howl. See what you've
made me do Look at my new hood that
you were putting the bows on-all spoiled
I'll tell mamma"
ats all your own fault" said Netties
sister Ruth, who, am sorry TO say, was
rather fond of teasing her sister.
at isn't, say r.
at is. II you hadn't got into such a
temper and thrown the brush, it wouldn't
have been So"
Nettie ran and slapped Ruth's face.
"Oh, you hateful thing !" sobbed Ruth.
" I'm glad your hoods spoiled"
"Chicadee-dee-dee-dee-dee-Chicadee-dee
Chcadee-dee-dee," rang out from the little
birds outsi Ie of the window.
You wouldn't know, 80 l must tell you,
that the English of that and much more
was:
"Wby, good-morning, Shinyeyes, I'm glad
to see you"
"Good morning, you dear little Flutter.
How are you to-day 2"
The conversation went on in bird-talk,
but to any of us it would sound 80 much
like perfect ripple and tangle Of Chicsdee-
dees, all running together and tripping over
one another, that it would be of no use for
me TO write it down. This is what was
really said:
"Why, have little trouble with my
left claw. That snow squall prevented my
getting home last night. Old Boreas gave
me such terrible hustling that | didn't
know what to do, but at last l managed to
crawl under the woodwork of q piazza.
Then Jack Frost would get hold of which
ever claw didn't hold up in my feathers,
aud when fell asleep he took hard nip at
the down claw, so Pm little lame today"
Poor Flutter Had any breakfast ?"
"Well, no. You see I can't get about
very well, and was just peeping into that
window to see If the little children there
wouldn't think to throw me crumb or two,
and you'll hardly believe it, but heard two
little sisters quarrelingp
"Oh, Flutter Not sisters 7"
"Yes, indeed and one struck the other.
1t actually made my feathers droop, and
took away my appetite"
"No wonder, you poor little thing !"
Both birds ruffied up their feathers and
shook their heads SO dolefully that they
were the funniest little Jumps you ever saw.
"Do you suppose any other children ever
quarrel 7" asked Flutter.
"No," said Shinyeyes, setting down his
claw very decidedly. "Of course not.
Don't they know that we birds never quar-
rel-thst we only sing and twitter lovingly
to one another2 Don't they know that the
little sun rays never get into a snarl as they
come down to shine for us ? and that the
pretty flowers smile all day long at each
other ?"
al wish some one would tell these little
ones it is wrong" said Flutter.
Ooh dear What would Nettie's poor
mamma have thought if she could have
heard that, remembering how she had talked
and talked y
II wish we could tell them it is much
nicer TO be kind and sweettempered to each
other" said Shinyeyes. "But how can
weP
"Hsrk What's that p
The window near which the Chicadees
had been keeping up such lively chatter
was 30 suddenly thrown up that both flew
across to the trellis in fright, and no won
der How could they tell what little sisters
who could be cruel to each other might do
to birds
"Oh the darling little brides !" cried out
both OF the girls at once. "What chipping
they do keep. Let's give them some
crumbs" Ruth put out her face, wet with
tears, and Nettie came next, still with the
flush of anger on her round cheeks.
Then shower of crumbs fell on the
urNnnI nj hnt he LII l.
ingly at them. Fredde's bright little face
soon appeared at the window, and Shinyeyes
to fly down, at which all three
laughed and clapped hands so merrily that
Flutter gathered courage to follow. But his
poor little frost-bitten foot hurt him so that
he lost his balance and fell over.
"Oh poor little birdie, he's lame" cried
Ruth, as the hungry little morsel tried to
hobble about and eat some crumbs.
Sh-h.h.h !" cried Nettie hear that one
sing"
"Now, Flutter, dear, you keep still and
I'll bring you all you want"
"L9ok r. whispered Ruth, "if that little
brown darling isn't feeding the lame one |"
Nurse came, TOO, and Ruth ran for mamma,
and all watched to see the cunning thing
hopping about now taking dainty nibble,
now giving sideways glance up at the
window with its pretty bright eyes, as much
a. to say "You wouldn't hurt us 2" and
then carrying crumb to poor little hobble-
de-hoy. And soon they lost all fear, and
their chicadee-dees rang merrily out on
the frosty air, long after mamma said the
window must be shut, and until both flew
away TO fluid warmer lodging than Flutter
had enjoyed last night
How kind the dear birdie was 10 his
little lame brother, mamma"
Mamma had drawn little girl within
each arm for a quiet talk, after noisy Fred
die had gone to his afternoon nap.
IF he had knocked him down and hurt
his lame foot instead of helping him, it
would have been something like the way
you treat your sister sometimes, wouldn't it,
Ruth 2"
"Why, mamma /" never knocked Net.
tie down"
"And | never was lame, mamma" said
Nettie.
"a lame temper Is far worse than lame
foot, Ruth, and when you see your sister
stumbling with her sad deformity you irri.
tate and make 1t worse by sharp words in
stead Of trying, by little patient kindness
to lend her a helping hand"
Nettie was always ready to listen when
not in fit OF anger, and she said, SORROW
fully;
what makes my temper lame, mamma
The birds are out in the cold and the snow,
and it's enough to make them all lame, Pm
sure"
But Nettie lives in the warmth and sun.
shine OF the love Of every one In her own