Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-08-30
BLIZZARD


Reminiscence of the spring of 'SS
Blizzard we named her not because that
| rough, unpleasant name particularly wei
suited the demure little damse in dusty
brown who came to live with us, but for
the reason that she came in with the blz
zard that tossed and tumbed, and half
| buried New York on that famous Monday
of March, claiming our hospitahties against
the inhospitable world of wind and snow
outside. How she got into the house is
still a mystery. Mamma thought she must
have come down the chimney and through
the slove pipe, but it is hard to believe that
a bird, however distressed would venture
into long, dark tunnel like that, not know
ing where it might end.
1t seems more likely that when some one
opened door to 20 out, and was met by a
wild sweep of the gale, and dash Of fine,
sharp show in his face, that half blinded
him, that poor little Blizzard flew in with
| it perhaps, because she saw warmth and
comfort inside, or possibly because she was
blown in and couldn't help herself.
However it came about, there she was.
bright and pert as a sparrow can be, and
plainly delighted to get out of the storm.
She rebelled at being caught, and even bit
savagely at her captor, but in spite of that
| she was taken upstairs TO warm, snug
| room and set free, where we thought she
would be safe, for Blizzard was not the on
| ly guest in the house
There was first, Elizabeth, the cat, who
liked nothing better than tender young
sparrow for breakfast, and knew well how
to get it, too and Napoleon, the dog, who
made it his particular duty to guard the
household from all four footed and feather
| ed enemies, and worse-for those two could
! be shut out Of the room-there was Laura
| Laura was parrot of high degree and
beautiful manners dressed in several
shades of green with gay yellow cap, and
a dash Of rose-color on her wing. She did
not at all know hat to think Of this vag
abond of the street, whose vulgar antics
she was accustomed to watch through the
windows only. She turned her arstocratic
head on one side, fixed one large red eye
on the plebian, and plainly did not alto
| gether approve of her for companion.
But Blizzard had no scruples she was
not in the least afraid of her high might
ness in fact she never saw the bird she
was afraid of, and she assumed the aggres-
sive herself
For some moments the two stared at
each other, head feathers erected and all
| bristled up for war, then suddenly with a
keen appreciation of the advantage of tax
| ing the initiative, the sparrow made a dash
at Laura, and passed Just over her head
without pausing.
That insulted bird started, and gave a
violent snap of her big beak, just too late
to touch her lively enemy Again and
again was this performance repeated, the
saucy street rufiian swooping down as if to
annlhilate the stately parrot, and that bird
every time surprised out of her dignity,
startled, swapping her bill, trying to seize
her tormentor.
At length Blizzard tired of this amuse-
ment, and proceeded to show contempt of
her room mate in new way, by alghting
on the perch beside her The perch was
three or four feet long, and the size of a
| broomstick.
Laura, sitting calm and composed at one
end was suddenly shocked by the sparrow
dropping down upon it about four inches
from her seat In moment, after one
look of horror and disgust, down went Lau-
ra's head, and off she started hand over
hand as parrots walk, beak wide open to
seize her disreputabe foe.
The graceless upstart simply hoped back
a step or two. Laura followed, snapped
again, and again the sparrow retreated.
Thus they passed down the length of the
perch, and when they reached the end
Blizzard hopped over the back of her clum-
sy puTsuer, came down the other side, and
led her back in the same impertinent way.
There was one droll sort of dance that
Laura INDUCED in that seemed to amuse,
or at least TO interest Blizzard, for while it
was going on she stood still in her turn,
and looked at every movement. The ex-
citement was produced by scrapng a crump-
led newspaper over the mating.
What it suggested to the parrot no one
could guess, but the instant it began she
erected her feathers, spread her tail like a
fan, expanded her wings, put her beak
down, and rubbed the upper edge of it
along the floor, while she walked round and
round, toeing in, and always ploughing the
mating with her big bill This curions
movement she kept up without pause so
| long as the noise was continued.
An eating-place was set up for the storm
refugee on the window sash, and bread and
water provided for her comfort. The wa
ter she accepted with thanks, but she soon
discovered that Lauras now vacant cage
contained a dainty more to her taste-a
large, square cracker. This she pecked at
eagerly, first standing outside and putting
her head between the wires but finding
| this inconvenient, after reconnoitering ev-
cry side, and scorning the open door as a
probable trap, she slipped between the
wires and helped herself freely, hammer
ing the cracker to bits and scattering
crumbs all over the floor, while the owner
of the cage looked ON with displeasure at
the disorderly manners of her small neigh
| Dor.
After while Laura went home, and the
door was shut. We were sure she could
guard her food for she was a bird of spirit
herself, and not used to being imposed up
on, Te the ladies of the family she as
very gracious, readily accepting finger
for perch, and kissing and behaving in a
charming manner, but l regret to say that
to the gentleman she was very different.
Whether she had been teased till her tenn
per was soured toward the sex no one knew,
but from the smallest boy to the biggest
man she detested the whole race.
On the approach of the son of the house
hold, aged six, she invariably seized the
edge of her seed dish, and shook it so vio-
lently that seeds were scattered all over
the floor if a hand came near she bit it,
and sometimes she flew at our face scream
ing and chattering with fury
Blizzard did not approve of the new ar
rangement, but cracker she was bound to
have, and after a few cautious advances
holding herself ready for instant flight, she
grew careless, and plainly made up her
mind that Laura was far too slow 10 catch
so very wide-awake parsonage as herself.
SO once more she slipped through and
busted herself on the floor within six inches
of her big neighbor, getting even so bold
as TO snatch at Lauras tail when it hung
in her way
For some time the parrot looked on, with
wise head turned over on one side, and
Blizzard became permanently Indifferent,
when at last the long suffering bird leaned
over and snatched up the intruding scape
grace by the back,
Had It been the head, this would he the
end of the poor sparrow's story, but the
feathers are thick on the back Blizzard
screamed at the top of her voice, the fam
lily ran into the room, and the bird escaped,
leaving mouthful of feathers with Laura.
This experience subdued the street ga
min for awhile, and she retired To the top
of the window casing to recover from her
fright and investigate the damage TO her
draperies while Laura sat bridling in her
cage, saying "cr-r-r-crr-rn in a low but
evidently Growing tone, as if she said,
"There, miss how do you like that per
haps you1l keep out of my house y
As it began to grow dark Blizzard pre-
pared for the night, and in the way one
might expect from sparrow. There was
no elaborate dressing of plumage, remov-
ing of the days dust, and drawing each
soft feather in place for the night-she
simply laid in an extra supply of provis-
ions-fairly stuffed herself till we were
alarmed
Perhaps, poor thing, it was not from
greediness, but because she had dim feel