St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-10-26
sELCiN0 BIRDS NESTS


sELLiNo BIRDS NESTS
n. osa Iada.sry . French woman u.,
- Bailt UD h New Yssh.
when the Robins, Nest Again
seems likely 70 have = future bearing
upon trade In conversation with q
pretty little french woman the other
day. o reporter discovered that the
largest part Of her living was made by
the sale of natural and artificial birds
nests, containing from three to five
tiny eggs and mounted or not as the
purchaser desired. Her story is thai
In Paris, where she had been EN-.
ployed as an artificial-Aower maker.
her wages were SO low that to exist
was possible. but to lay up a penny for
, rainy day was not An American
lady. who had given her some orders
aud been attracted by her pretty face.
offered to pay her expenses to this city
and assist her ina small way until
such time as she could swim the sea
OF life alone. She disliked. rs all
foreigners do. to leave Paris. This
was not because she had been SC
happy there. for hers was q
hard lot. rising early in the morning
and working away into tho night
in order to make the few francs per
week which she required to keep body
and soul together. Then there was
the long walk from the little back
street. whers she lived. to the great
shop where she daily disposed of the
delicate flowers her deft fingers had
created.
But to mako . long story short.
Steamer Day." as Americans call it,
arrived. and what little Of this wOrld's 3
goods the little French hower-maker
had were easily packed and ample
space left all around them in a small
box not two feet square. --.
A brilliant idea came to her one day
when she visited tOy-shOp in Four
teenth street. She there saw q birds
nest made by human hands and in il
were glued little eggs about the size
Of an ordinary pill. Eureka! Her
day had come and y means OF liveli-
hood had dawned upon her anxious
brain. In her enthusiasm she almost
leaped through the streets to 60 and
lay her scheme before her benefac-
tress. Not long after this an adver-
tisement appeared in one Of the morn
ing daily papers in which an offer ol
fifteen cents was made for natural
BIRDS nests without eggs and twenty
five cents with them. 1t had its cruel
side. to be sure. but il was responded
to in double battalions, and for
days after she had no time
on her hands. The small boy occa-
s;onally broughtin . trophy. but her
purchases were mostly made Of farm.
ers. who would bring in the precious
burden. with their produce for the
markets. and 60 away with satisfied
chuckle. thinking the fools were not
all dead and thss them ere eggs rep
resented. . few encroachers which the
scarecrow would take no part in fright
ening away from his fruit orchards.
The enterpr:sing little tradeswoman
lives. moves and has her being in a
eontsnteds way. giving no signs Of
nervousness through being haunted BY
visitants from the world Of the depart
cd spirits OF birdlings. Carriages of
wealthy people roll up to the small
shop where her merchandise is. and.
without hesitation. leave the three IDOL
lars which is her price for her nest
With eggs. and. being tastefully mount
I'd on q pills Of stones or rustic branches
ih the. shape Of . corner piece. they
make a unique decoration for = home.
and bid fair to be one Of the most pop
ular articles for sale in the fall. In
this greed for gain on one hand and
desire to have beautifully II forbidden.
fruit on the other. no notice il taken
of the robins song, which has changed
ftom merriment TO woe. No one thinks
Of her a. she reaches the home tree
and, finds her nest gone and her hopes
blasted.-N. Y. World. .t,..a -.