The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-06
gns sieits BALM gnele Thursday ornue, 0ttobe g. 1882
Of England since Elizabeth Barrel

Of England since Elizabeth Barret
Browning.
! About the first of June-sometimes
earlier-Jenny Wren becomes bride,
and her husband seems to be the hap
pest creature in all the world. He
sings joyously all the day long, his
note greatly resembling that of the
canary, but not SO prolonged, and with
| few variations. The house wren is
diminutive bird, much smaller than our
common canary, the male trifle
larger than the female, and no marked
difference in color, which is dusty
brown. By reason of remodeling my
dwelling house my little wren cottage
had been taken down late last autumn.
and was late in finding place for it
this season. it being past the middle OF
June before it was erected on the sun
| ny southeast corner of the house. The
martins already had large families and
it was almost midsummer, yet l had
faith that my little wrens would yet
occupy the cottage even if they were
too late to be fashionable. So, few
mornings after. awoke to hear the
joyous song of my little friend, and
few minutes afterward saw him stand
ing on the roof the cottage, and Jenny
standing on the door step looking the
picture Of perfect happiness. That day
they began moving in, the furniture
consisting principally Of mattress Of
fresh hay and bric-a- brac decorations
of leaves and twigs.
Whap tho ma intarS capa IN neiuf NV
dwelling / expressed some fears that
their work would injure the health OF
my little tenants, and, sure enough,
Jenny became i'll and one day dropped
dead on the walk under the cottage.
We were all gr;eved, of course, and l
curiously awaited to see what the male
bird would do when he came home.
Soon we heard his joyous voice as he
approached his little home He on
tered and found it empty, and then,
mounting the roof, he gave two or
three loud calls preparatory to the
longest and clearest burst of song
had yet heard from his little throat
Receiving no response, he started in
quest Of his mate, only to return un-
successful. On his return he saw her
body on the walk and descended with
joyous twittering to greet her. 1t was
a sad scene. for the poor fellow seemed
to have no knowledge of the tragedy
of death. He kissed her frequently,
chartered to her, and then would fly to
the door of the cottage and sing his
prettiest airs, evidently trying to coax
her to return. Soon he few away. re-
turning with white feather, which
he offered her as a present, but in vain.
He repeated his embraces, his en-
treaties and his songs and brought
numerous pretty feathers, but all to no
purpose. He did not realize that the
faithful little bride was but speck of
dust. as mute and lifeless as the white
feathers he carried in his beak
Finally, when he had gone from our
sight again, we tenderly removed the
little body and buried it in the corner
of the garden. 1 was confident that
the little widower would soon wed !
again, but he remained true all the
summer, habiting the little cottage
alone, his song less frequent, but yet |
joyous and hopeful, and full of faith |
tx at his little bride would return to |
him ere the summer waned. He stayed |
with US until the waning days of sum- |
With his neighbors, the blue birds and |
martins, he had doubtless started TO- |
wards his winter home. and when his |
little Iowa cottage is covered with tho
drifting SHOWS of winter he will be