Telegram-herald., 1890-09-18

ngrinz tie spring > pair q wrens
fitted into the ssil-Shs1sd groan4s that
sursoana = xentisaa2n's ; ressdenoe on ths
P~oyldeace roza, writes = scranton pa
correspondent of the New YORK Trib-
une. and began e sesrca for : sumner
home. A sen Of the oWner Of tie place.
who was sltting on the yersnda A. the
tire. saw the cheerful little birds when
they arrived. and he studied their move
ments al ths forenoon. They rev
about the corniees Of the house for sey-
eral minutes. surveyed every nook and
corner that hooked secluded, and then
slighted on = shade tree and compared
notes. For some time the birds had :
confab in low and gentle tones, their
actions indicating 70 the young nan that
they hzdn't found a place that exactly
suited them 20 settle down In for the
summer. AT the close OF the consalts-
tion the wrens sailed ont OF the tree and
again went 70 hunting for q nesting
place, and in short time the male ran
across one that seemed 70 suit him
On one OF the large wooden gate posts
there was letter-box in the shape OF
LITTLE house. II had peaked roof. a
slot on the street side for the mail-car-
rier 10 drop letters into, and 4 little
door on tho yard side 70 take them out
OF. 1t was rain tight, and il stood in
the shadow OF large maple.
In his search for nice summer quar-
ters in the country, the male wren found
his way into the box through the slot.
He stayed in it less than a minute, and
then he few out joined his wife on a
lilac bush a few yards away, and told
her about the cozy spot he had discoy-
cred. Mrs. Wren appeared 10 be all Of
flutter over the pleasant news her
proud husband had brought her, and
away they both flew at once and entered
the slot.
Pretty soon they came out and few
across the street 10 an open field. II
was soon evident that Mrs. Wren was as
well pleased with tho box as her mate
was, for in a short time they both sailed
back again, each carrying a short piece
OF broken twig in the bill These they
dropped in the bottom OF the box, and
back and forth the industrious little
filters went until noon. when the young
man looked into the box and found that
the wrens had carried in good hand
full of twigs and nicely arranged them
as foundation for their nest. BY
nightfall the birds had got the rough
work on the nest pretty we'll under way,
and the next day they nearly finished it.
When the young man told his mother
about what the wrcns had done, she said
that the little birds must be permitted
TO keep house in the box, as well as pro-
tected while they were raising family
there. So on Monday morning another
box for letters was rugged up on the
other gate post, and the lady OF the
house watched for the letter-carrier that
forenoon and requested him not to drop
any more letters into the box where the
wrens had taken up their abode.
/ On the fence she placed food that the
wrens liked, and she talked to them and
made them feel that they were welcome.
/ Inside of q week the wrens got to be SO
contented and confding that they
daughters. Somo sparrows undertook to
molest the quiet birds in the box, but
the young man got his gun and pep
pered away at them until those that
didn't get killed were glad TO go.
About week after the finishing touch
had been put on the nest the female
laid an egg IN it When she began to
- Ii H. IL IL
the little door and strolIed her,
calling her pet names as she ca
ressed her. While she was sitting,
the male fitted among the shrub
berry close by and sang merrily,
and one day very intelligent and
highly-prized female house-cat that be-
longed 10 the family came near catching
him. Puss' mistress caught her UP. car
ried her TO the box, showed her the fe-
male wren on tho nest, pointing out to
her the hopping male on the fence and
gave her "a good talking to-" telling
her that II she harmed the birds or the
nest It would 90 hard with her. Puss
understood what was said, for not once
afterward did she offer 20 approach the
box. although before then she had often
walked along tho fence and across the
gate. She had several chances to kill
the male, but she didn't dare 70 spring
At him after the warning her mistress
had given her.
A new letter-carrier poked three lot
ters through the slot one day and nearly
covered up the sitting wren, but she
didn't mind it, and in a few days she
hatched out nest full OF little ones
About the same tino the old cat CAV,
birth 20 four kittens, and at last ac
7ounts both the wren family and the
I cat family were getting along finely and
were much admired by their friends. ia,
human family.