The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-29
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
FACTS IND FASCIES LIKELY TO
PLEASE THEM.
Poor Robin-A Touching Account OF What
BefeIl n Redbreast's Home-An Enterpris-
ing Little Prince-How the Heir Apparent
Amuses Himself.

BefeIl n Redbreasts Home-An Enterpris-
ing Little Princo-How the Heir Apparent
Amuses Himself.
Back from the South. the advance guard
Of great army numbering many millions. is
now coming to invade the Northern States.
Only pickets and scouts arc appearing now
above the line that used to mark the division
between the Northern and Southern States.
but very soon these scouts and pickets will be
followed by platoons. regiments and brigades.
There is nothing alarming. however, in this
invasion. On the contrary, we shall all be
delighted to see and glad to welcome the bold
invaders.
Among the first Of the scouts will be the
little friend of every boy and girl. and the
subject of sweet memory in every adult,
Master Robin Redbreast, with his brisk and
blitbesome WAYS and his short but melOdlOus
song. Then will come their other feathered
acquaintances, the bluebird, the woodpecker.
the lark. the thrush, the chippy and the
pantive "pee-wee" Meantime We shall see,
passing proudly over our heads OF we have
the good fortune to be in the line Of march,;
the grand army corps of pigeons, ducks and
geese.
These large birds do not often stop 10 visit
us now Their old tarrying grounds have
been cut up into farms. and the awful shot
gun awaits them on every hand. They 60 far
to the Northward now. the pigeons chiefly to
the great forests in Canada, and the ducks and
geese 10 the lakes away up IN tho neighbour
hood of the Arctic circle
Our little friends. whom we shall now see
fitting among the trees near our homes irisk-
ing about our lawns. perching on garden
fences and on hOusetOps. are OF far more inter
est 20 the lover of nature than are the armies
Of large birds, which are chiefly suggestive OF
something good 10 eat.
Undoubtedly the robin. rs we call him in
America, or redbreast. "a they call him IN
England. is the prime fayorlte among all So
called wild birds. He Is not SO handsome rs
the oriole. or the bluebrd. or the tiny yellow
bird. or even some varieties OF blackbird,
but he Is so afiectonate. 80 gentle, aud so
wonderfully devoted to his family. that he
seems "a little dearer 20 us than any other 81
the feathercd friends that delight rs with
their presence and charm Us with their songs;
The robin seems more trustful IN the good
intentions Of mankind than any other bird.
I'm selecting places for their nests they appa-
rentlv have hut little fear of mOlestatlOn from
human hands In fact there Is reason 10 be-
ieve that their usually kind treatment leads
them 10 rely, b. some extent. on humanity 10
protect them from natural enemies Any way
n pair will often build their nests within hand
reach of the window of a house, and they have
been known 10 nest and bring forth their
brood in a room that was purposely kept nc
ccssible 10 them.
There 10 one peculiar trait in the robin.
While all the rest of our song birds and
chrpers dissolve their marriage ties at the
end Of the season. and then form new matri-
monial alliances next year, Robin Redbreast
and his mate cling together until death
separates them. You never see robins IN
hocks The pairs live solely for each other
and their little ones. and their devotion to
one another Is hardly paralleled IN any other OF
NATURES creatures.
The distress Of one Of the pair when the
other has been killed. or of the two when
mishap has befailen their young ones, is most
pitiable. The survivor viii restlessly fly
about from one tree TO another. constantly
emitting a pitcOns wall. refusing 10 eat or
sleep. and often finally falling dead from eX-
haustiOn. The writer witnessed the following
in his boyhOod days II the Susquehanna
4 pair of robins had made their nest in an
orchard tree near the house. The young
brood had Just emerged from the shells and
the parents. one at "A time, were JOyously
diminishing about for choice tidbits for their
little ones. meantime expressing their hap
piness in constant songs and chlrps. Near
evening one day it was noticed that the
female was flying about restessly near the
nest emitting the quick. sharp cry indlca-
tive of trouble The male could not be seen
and the heads or the young ones were Fl,lblc
nj the top of the nest with expansive mouths,
eager for their supper.
The distress of the female constantly IN
creased. She would not remain still sec
ond. but wildly flew about near the nest, NJ
terng that wild wall Of anguish. 1t was evil
denced that something had happened TO her
mnte He would not remain away from his
little family 50 long if he were able to get
home.
Next morning poor little Robin Redbreast
was found dead under a tree at the farther
end of the orchard. While ndustrously gath
ering food for those little mouths in the nest.
he had been cruelty killed by some gunner
that had passed along the adjacent road. The
weird wall Of the beleayed mate had been
heard nj daylight. and she WIS flying about
more wildly than before The young ones
were clamoring for their breakfast Occasion
ally the old one would hastily capture q worm
and take It T. them, but the food was evident
~ insufficient
On the morning Of the second day the poor
mother was found dead under the tree. and
two Of the four little ones were dead in the
nest. The other two died the same day
II was a clear case Of death from exhaustion
caused by grief as 10 the mother, and the re-
sutant want of parental care as 10 the young
ones.
Only little broken-hearted robinl-Phila-
delphia Times
n 81.