The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-08-21
THE FlRE.HANG.BiRD.

Asi an sitting in the sun upon the porch to.
Gay,
I look with wonder at the elm that stands across
the way;
I say and mean with wonder, for now It seems
to me
That elm is not as tall as years ago it used to
he!
The old fire hang. birds built her nest therein
for many springs
High up amid the sportive winds the curious
cradle swings,
But not so high as when little boy did nv
TO scale that elm and carry OF the old fre-hang.
birds nest!
The Hubbard boys had tried In vain to reach
the homely prize
That dangled from that upper outer twig in
haunting wise,
And once, when Deacon Turner's boy had al
most grasped the limb,
He fell! and had to have doctor operate on
him!
Philetus Baker broke his leg and Orrin Root his
But what Of THAR The danger gave the sport
especial charm!
The Bixbies, and the Cutler boys, the Newtons
and the rest
Ran every risk to carry of the old flre-hang-
birds nest!
can remember that used to knee my trousers
through,
That mother used to wonder how my legs got
black and blue
And how she used to talk to me and make stern
threats when she
Discovered that my hobby was the nest in yon-
der tree;
How, as she patched my trousers or creased my
purple legs
She told me 'twould be wicked to destroy q
hang.bird's eggs,
And then she'd call on father and on gran'pa to
attest
That they. as boys, had never robbed an old
frehang bird's-nest!
Yet all those years coveted the trophy haunt-
ing there
While, as it were in mockery OF my abiect de-
spair,
Tho old firehang- bird confidently used to come
AS il she were Indifferent to the bandit horde
below!
And sometimes clinging to her nest we thought
We heard her chide
The cailow brood whose cries betrayed the fear
that reigned inside;
'H0sh little dears! all profltless shall be their
wicked quest
1knew my business when built the old fire.
hang birds nest!''
For many, very many years that mother bird
Torear her pretty little brood within that cosy
She Is the self-same bird Of old-rm certain it
is She
Although the chances are that she has quite for
gotten me.
Just as Of old that prudent, crafty bird of com
pound name,
tAnd In parenthesis I'll say her nest is still the
same):
just as Of old the passion, too, that fires tho
youthful breast
To climb unto and comprehend tho old fre-h hang
birds nest!
like to see my old-time friend swing in that
ancient tree,
And, II the elms as tall and sturdy as it used
ODE,
I'm sure that many year that nest shall in the
For boys aren't what they used to be forty
years ago!
The elm looks shorter than it did when brother
Rufe andI
Beheld with envious hearts that trophy haunt.
ed from on high;
He writes that in the city where he's living wav
out West
His little boys have never seen an old fire hang
birds nest:
Poor little chaps how lonesomelike their city
wish they'd come and live awhile In this old
house with mel
They'd have the honest friends and healthful
sports used to know
When brother Rufe and I were boys forty
years ago.
So, when they grew from romping lads to busy
useful men,
Tey could recall with proper pride their coun-
try life again;
And OF those recollections Of their youth I'm
sure the best
Would be OF how they sought in vain the old
6re-hang- birds nest!
Eugene Field, in Youths Companion.