Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-22
AN UNHoLY PARROT.
Fakes Advantage of His Master and Dis
turbs u Congregation.

turbs u Congregation.
One of the flourishing and happy Catho-
lie congregations of the city is that spirit
ually cared for by Father Kelly. The
church is located at the stock yards, and
the priest is great favorite with both old
and young. He is as popular out of the
pulpit as he is in it. Father Kelly, so the
story runs, has parrot of which ne is ex-
tremely fond. 1t is very Intelligent bird;
Is decidedly garrulous, and, moreover has
the faculty OF always saying the right
thing in the right place, a feat that not
all two legged birds without feathers, as
Thomas Carlyle calls the human race can
perform
Father Kelly keeps this bird in his study,
and many an hour of lucubration and
labor Is broken into by this talkative par
rot.- Net long ago, on one particular Sun
day morning, just before the beginning of
the Sunday services. the father happened
10 he very much engrossed with his work
And as parrots are sometimes quite as per-
verse as some men and women. it kept I'D
= continual iabbering, much to the annoy
ance OF the priest.
Admonition after admonition was adj
miaistered, but to no purpose and, finally
losing his patience at the persistent talk
Tag of Polly, he opened the door of the
cage, and taking out the bird he soundly
boxed It's head. Polly was very crestfallen
over this punishment, and for the remain
der OF the time the father remained in his
| study was silent and sullen. BY and by
the t1sk was over. and the priest entered
| the church by the side door, forgetting to
| close the door of his residence securely. 1t
| swung open again aud remained open.
| Polly had not been replaced in his cage,
| and It free n do L. il nlaaSa1
For little while it amused itself climb
| ing over the articles OF furniture, and then
the notion seized it that it would like to
follow in the steps of its master. 1t hop
| ped down from the chair to the floor and
| then about the room, and gradually made
| it's way to the door that Father Kelly had
left open. 1t hoped out of the door on
the church steps, and up the steps it
| jumped and entered within the portals of
the sacred edifce. In the church it was
daZed for while, and before an agrees
i've movement was decided upon it spent
some time in an investigation. Soon the
| familiar voice of its master struck Pol
| ly's ear. Father Kelly could not be at once
located, but the intelligent parrot followed
the sound, and it was not long before it
| had hoped about to position that gave it
view of the well known person deliver
ing tue morning sermon from the pulpit.
With as little ado as possible it climbed
| up into one of the vacant rear pews, and
when it had reached a commanding posi-
ton it sung out with all the lung power at
| its command: "God save Ireland! Long
| live Father Kellyr' 1t is needless to re-
mark that the interruption. wholly unex-
| pected and unjustifabie spread consterna-
| ton for moment among the worshipers
| Father Kelly, however, knew the parrots
voice and knew his favorite expressions
! too well 20 be Indignant over the iuterjec-
ton of those irrelevant remarks. But he
was ariy overcome 10y the merriment
that was naturally caused by an appartion
| of this kind.-Chicago Post.