The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-06

az was, and sure am that oat meal por-
ridge never tasted 30 delicious as when |
that little sprite perched on the opposite |
side of the saucer, and beguiled me into |
eating by the persuasive power OF good
example.
He was very sensitive. A scolding
from me would send him to the bottom of
his cage, little detected heap of feath-
ers, while few caresses and gentle words
could win back his old, gay, saucy self
again.
He was amusingly jealous of Scrap, my
cardinal grosbeak, and did he detect me
petting that handsome fellow he would
fall upon him like little fury, and, though
Scrap was twice his size, he would chase
him about the room, pecking at his feath-
ers and did Scrap attempt to take refuge
in his own cage, Kaiser would fly before
him and, planting himself in the doorway,
with futtering wings and angry beak, he
would refuse him admittance into his own
house, and poor Scrap was forced to con-
clude that though an Epglishman's house
may be his castle, southerner's certainly
is not. So he would quietly retire to
some secluded corner until the little tyrant
chose to let him in. For Scrap was no
"fire.eater." He did not, in fact, keep up
the reputation of his native land for vslor.
But would do him no injustice. 1t was
perhaps because, being a churchman, he
had discarded the use of such carnal
weapons as beak and claws.
Kaiser was trick canary, and moth.
ing delighted him more than being ex-
hibited to an audience. Once invited
my mothers Sunday-school class to come
and see him. They came-seven little
ragamufius-giggling and stumbling over
each other in an agony of delighted en-
bsrrassment. They were seated in a row
on one side of the parlor, and / brought
his majesty in, perched upon my finger.
Never was there more appreciative audi
ence, or more inspired actor. He went
through all his little tricks with the
greatest spirit aud precision. He hoped
up and down stairs on my fingers, played
hide and seek, came at call and flew away
at command, consented to be hidden in
my handkerchief, turned "toes up" and
played dead, and so on; and when he
had finished the list, he began and did
some of them over again. And when he
was not otherwise occupied, he was put
ting himself into the prettiest possible
attitudes, perching on my head and shout
ders, tucking himself under my chin, and
peeping out at the boys with much soft
chatter, and then stepping up on my col
lar to kiss me, until his audience nearly
died of suppressed laughter, for they did
not dare to laugh aloud, lest they should
alarm him.
go ma'am p said little Teddy McGin-
mis-, I" if he would only jist sthep on me
finger onct, would kape as sthill as a
mouse"
"Perhaps he WILL" said [. "You may
all hold out your fingers, but you must
not laugh or talk, or you will scare him."
Instantly, seven stumpy fingers, not
over-clean as to nail, were stretched rig
idly out, and their seven owners scarcely
breathed in their intense efforts to be
quiet and Kaiser, when he understood
what was wanted, hoped dainty from
my finger on to Teddy's, then back to mine,
and from mine again on to Gsorgie Clark's,
and 80 on down the line until the whole
seven had held him.
That was happy day, and the boys show.
ed that they both appreciated and remem.
bered it by giving Kaiser compliment in
their own peculiar fashion some months
afterward. The way of it was this: You
we people 10 Brooklyn have day which
we call anniversary day. 1t commend.
rates the founding of the Brooklyn Sun.
day-school Union, and it is festival day
for every Brooklyn child. Then all the
Sundsy-schools in the city, great and
beautiful army with banners, parade the
streets, and then gather in their respective
churches for prayer and praise, and very
short speeches. After this comes cola
ton, which is always delicious. And every
.. small Brooklynite thinks it is the incest
day of all the year, excepting Christmas
. and so it is.
Well, on the anniversary day following
:. the boys visit to Kaiser, the Brooklyn
Heights division of the Sundsy-schoo
, army was to march past our door, 80 WI
hung out our old battered army flag an(
: festooned the windows with bunting, anC
Kaiser's cage was trimmed with blue rib
bons and flowers, and when we heard thu
: music of the band, Kaiser and l, with
: crowd of people, went out on the piazz'
. to see them pass ; and, when a certain
class of boys in Pilgrim chapel cam,
: marching by, 1 held Kaiser's cage higl
above my head, that they might see him
! and they did.
!, "Hey, boysl" cried a happy voice
! "there's Miss Ella and Kaiser. Thre
: cheers for Kaiser " and they gave ther
. with will. clip, hip, hurrah, hurrat
q hurrah " and they were echoed by hur
!. dreds of happy threats all down the line
@ who had not the least idea in the worl
o what they were cheering for.
: Now there was a learned and eminen
doctor of divinity sitting on a neighbol
:, ing balcony, who was very much intereste
in the Pilgrim chapel, and he yer
q naturally supposed that all this cheerin
!, was for him, SO he benevolently waved
= large white handkerchief in Response
~ Kaiser and did not correct his mistake
h but we always knew that those cheer
a were never meant for great and learne
:, a doctor, but were for very knowing littl
- bird instead. And, indeed, the goo
~ doctor could we'll spare those cheers, fc
10 presently, when the chapel, and his ow
y home school, the school of Pilgrim churcl
N did catch sight of him, they cheered hill
3. until there wasn't the ghost of SCUM
:, left In their throats to cheer with.
y Quite such happy anniversary wi
:, 10 never come again, for before anoth'
n spring came round stroked and folde
\. my pets golden wings for the last tim
:, and now, all that is left of that bright an