Omaha daily bee., 1889-12-08
MY CONFESSION

MY CONFESSION.
Leon Mead, in New York Star:
Though living at some distance from
the city, | was sufficiently IN touch with
urban life to be spared the appellatlon
of II rustic. Net [ was called an eccen-
trio man because, being something of
an experimentalistis, | seldom did
things like my neighbors. They re-
garded me as Il harmless ~zealot, and in
the community was characterized as
"better than fool average" But [
never minded the opinions of my fellow
citizens respecting myself. Year after
year went on eXperim ,nting with my
beahives, my grape vines, my fruit trees
and my crops.
To be entirely frank, my knowledge
OF Horace; my subsc iDtions to three
agricultural papers aud my only untir-
ing devotion to the more scientific
methods of farming did not assist, me
inan ,ially. While not aspiring to
REAP Il fortune in agriculture, L dared
to hope ior u moderate monetary sue
cess from the application of approved
modern methods to agricultural affairs.
But thew did not appear to succeed. AT
the end of each year 1 found myself
somewhat poorer thar 1 had been at the
beginning. Despite my industry, my
acres did notrthrive. While | was deep
in the study Of ensilage and other
interesting matters, my produce garden
became choked with weeds and ~nettles,
ana while l was eradicating them by
hand (a laborious process requiring n
fortnight's steady toll my little dairy
epidemic which other sufferers like nv
self called by a great variety of names.
So matters went rom bad to worse,
and finally, being cramped for a little
ready money, my small balance In the
First National bank of Centervllle-the
nearest tOwn-having been gradually
withdrawn, | began to ponder how |
could raise the necessary amount with
out borrowing or m~ortgaging my farm.
At last | decided TO sell INV four carrier
pigeons, which some three years before
had been presented to me by u friend
who had procured them in Italy.
He assured the that originally they
had belonged TO II Neopolitan count,
who, while imprisoned for a crime, had
used them us messengers between him
self and his lady love. This count, it is
said, did little else during his incarcer-
alton but indite burning ~epistles to the
fair senorita and dispatch them to her
by these pigeons, which were kept fly
ing from the prison to his s~weetheart's
villa and back by day and night. The
senorita, OF course, responded to zach
impassioned vow of her captive lover,
and to each of her perfumed notes was at
tached n scarlet ribbon, which vas tied
o the tail-feathers of the faithful car
rier.
Neapolitans who lived in the neigh
borhood of the prison used to stand in
the street for hours watching the pig
cons set forth from and return through
the narrow second-story window of the
cell occupied by the count. This was
one OF the interesting sights in Naples.
. Finally, the count died suddenly while
in the act of addressing one of his most
ardent declarations to the senorita, and
his property, including the pigeons,
was publicly sold to redeem his debts.
What became of the fair ~senorita I
have never heard. Perhaps she lam
guished away in a con vent. My friend
happened to be in Naples at the time
OF the sale Of the count Gracedo's
effects, and he bought the pigeons at n
rather extravagant price. But each
one was indeed II rara avis.
AS | have said, he presented them to
me-in remembrance Of our close friend
ship formed while at college. Or ac-
count of the romantic story he related
concerning them, | always had dearly
priced them since becoming their pos
SCISSOR. And now, though | needed
money, | keenly disliked the idea of
parting with them. In my bachelor
loneliness they had been excellent COM
panions. Throughout my forty-Gve
years existence never have been
especially fond Of domestic pets, but
these pigeons won my tender affections
from the start, and l trust ( shall not
be considered vaiWi II / hint tn at my
feelings were charmingly refrigerated
by them. They lived as much in
doors as out. They followed me TO
the fields and INDUCED in their
WI instructive pastimes when l was
loo busy TO pay them attention, but they
were never far away from me. At
night whe went to my chamber to
read, or into my adjoining homemade
laboratory to fuss, they accompanied
me, and, lighting on my shoulder,
would coo and pose in the most piau-
antly aiiectlonate manner. | called
them respectively Jose phine," after a
young lady Tor whom | once entertained
sentimental but futile regard, and
Tobias after u favorlte deceased
uncle; Penelope after a married Sis
ter and Ralph, latter my friend who
gave me the pigeons,
After they thoroughly knew mel
tested their training by taking them
one day into a hillside forest about four
miles distant from my home and leav-
ing them in charge of my farm boy, who
accompanied me, with instructions TO