Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-17
The Little BirM-Catehev.

"A long, long time ago, q certain little
boy became very much interested in
the art OF catching birds. The varieties
that go south every year when the
leaves take on a red and russell hue,
and return with the violets, were what
ne seemed to delight in trapping most.
The birds that remain with us in the
northern latitudes through the winter
he seldom caught, and when such fell
into his hands he Immediately set them
free.
No one about the house could tell
why the boy had 80 suddenly given up
his usual games to catch birds, but sup
posed it would be abandoned as sud-
denly for something else. His traps
and eggs were everywhere about the
house, and in every ones way. o.
casionally the little bird-catcher's father
would unconsciously put his hat on
some bird-lime lying on the table, and
almost lift the table off the floor, little
later, when putting his hat on.
This would cause the indignant father
to wonder what on earth the boy had
got into his head, and why he wanted
to catch all the birds in creation, and if
he intended to sell them, or give them
away, or let them go.
Bat the little boy wouldn't tell. He
said it was secret, and went on catch
ing birds and hanging them up in cages
in the barn where the cat could not kill
them.
AS soon rs the birds were attended
to, the little captor would go down to
the orchard where his traps we're set to
see what luck awaited him. One day,
after he had placed the fourth bird in
each cage, he met a little school-mate
down in the orchard. The newcomer
had heard about the young bird
catcher's great success, and came over
to see him and find out how he oper-
ated.
"But what are you going to do with
them?" he asked.
Keep them," replied the bird
catcher.
"But what for?" inquired his COM
panion.
Il will tell you. Not long ago my
nurse read me book about the Indians.
She red me that the Indians say the
birds bring us summer, and take it away
again when they leave in the fall. If
this is so, summer must be wherever the
birds are. If the birds should all be
killed here, they would have no sum-
mer, and we would have summer all
the time"
II thought you liked skating better
than swimming?" observed the visitor.
II do" replied the bird-catcher,
sadly; "but you know my little sister is
sickly and weak. and heard the doctor
say the other day that the summer
helped her SO much that she ought to
be taken south in the winter. But she
won't have to go south if can keep the
summer here, and that is why i am try.
lug to catch all the BIRDS.
But shortly after this the summer
fed, and the rustling of the dry grass
and leaves proclaimed the advent of
autumn. The little bird-catcher had
not captured sufficient number of
songsters to keep the summer, but it
was noticeable that there were many
bright, balmy days that winter, when
his little sister could walk out in the
sun. These bright days were portion
Of summer the captured birds retained;
and when they died in their cages they
left us their share of summer, and per-
haps that is why we frequently have
days of sunny cheer in the very heart of
a rigorous northern winter.-Ha'Te''s
Young People.