DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-07-17

| nlstllng with barbed wire on both
sides, 1t will be as ugly as man can
make it. but it will be tidy (New En-.
glands shibboleth), for no sweet green
thing will grow up beside it. Nature
doesn't take kindly to barbed wire.
Inc old stone wall no@ is an irresist-
lole invitation to the riotods luxurious
ness OF vines. Alder bushes. with
thelr fine cream -colored blossoms, hang
lovingly over it; blackberry bushes,
loVely from snowy Towering to rich
autumn foliage, flourish beside it, and
thousand and one exquisite and to
me nameless, green things hang upon
1t and lean against it and nearly cover
1t up, And what garden of delight
nestles in each protected corner of an
old-fashioned zig-zag fence! Yet all
these are under the ban 'shiftless."
Thanks be to the gods who sowed this
country so full of stones and trees, that
the army of farmers who have worried
the land haven't succeeded in turning il
into the abomination of desolation they
admire!
And now, having relieved my mind,
I'll go on with the blue jay hunt:
The next morning it was, for rarity,
fine. | started up the wood road ahead
of my guide, so that might take my
climb as easily as such a feat is suscep-
tlble OF. Passing through the bare
pasture, | entered the outlying clumps
OF spruce which form the advance-guard
of the forests on Greylock, and here my
leader overlook me, urging his fiery
steeds, with their empty sled. Now
horned beasts have had certain terror
Tor me ever since an exciting experience
with them in my childhood. stood re-
specttully on one side, prepared to fly
should the "critterS' Qocal) show ma
licious intent On they came, looking
at me sharply with wicked eyes. !
made read for rush, when, 10. they
turned from me, and dashed madly into
spruce-tree, nearly upsetting them
selves, and threatening to run away
We were all afraid of each other.
The mortified driver apologizod for
,, their behavior on the ground that
they amt much used to seeing lady
up in the wood lot" generously for
gave them, and then meekly followed
in their footsteps, up, up, up, toward
the clouds, till we reached the blue jay
neighborhood, Here we parted. My
escort passed on still higher, and |
seated myself to see at last my blue
jays.
Dead silence around me. Not leaf
stirred; not bird peeped, | began to
make noise myself-calls and imita-
tions (feeble) of bird-notes to arouse
their curiosity; blue jay is born in
vostigator. No sign of heavens color
appeared except in the patches of sky
between the leaves.
Other wood dwellers came; a rose
breasted grosbeak, with lovely rosy
shield, with much posturing and many
sharp ''clicks," essayed to find out what
manner of irreverent intruder this
might be. Later his modest gray-clad
spouse joined him. They circled
around to view the wonder on all sides.
They exchanged dubious sounding
opinions. They were as little used to
seeing lady" as the oxen. They
slipped away, and in moment | heard
his rich song from afar.
No one else paid the slightest atten-
tion to my coaxing, and I returned by
easy stages to the spruces, where | had
the misfortune to arouse the suspicion
of robin. Do you know what it is to
be under robin surveillance? A neigh
borhood where this bird considers him
self the guardian of the peace las he
does wherever his family is plentiful) is
one to be avoided like the plague by the
bird student. Let but one redbreast
take it into his obstinate little head
that you are suspicious character, and
he mounts the nearest tree-the very
top twig, in plain sight-and begins his
loud peep! peep! tut, tut, tut! Peep!
peep! tut, tut, tut''
This is his tocsin of war, and soon his
allies appear, and then
From the north, from the east from the south
and the west,
Woodland, wheat field, corn field, clover,
Over and over, and over and over,
Five o'clock, ten o'clock, twelve or seven,
Nothing but robin.calls heard under heaven
No matter what you do or what you
don't do. One will perch on each side OF
you, and Join the maddening chorus,
driving every bird in the neighborhood
either to join in the hue and cry las
some of the sparrows), or to hide HIM
self from the monster that has been dis
covered.
| tried to tire them out by sitting abb
solutely motionless; but three, who evl-
IDENTIFY had business in the vicinity Tor
each held q mouthful of worms, guarded
me to right and left and in front, ana
never ceased their offensive remarks
long enough to stuff those worms into
the mouths waiting for them.
/ was not able to convince them that
I had no designs on robin households
and had to own myself defeated again.
Then and there l abandoned the search
for the blue jay. But, oh! the pleasure
of hunting for him, of making friends
with nature in her shyest moods, and
pursuing her to her solitudes! There
are utilitarians who would think my
time better spent in sewing weary
seams, or punching holes in strips OF
linen to make useless embroidery.
Nothing charms these good souls that
.,.,;lob1au for Immediate use.