Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-07-28

Sic odul. IL Slllllc tAlOuSA ACl
thoughts as she looked at him. First
by some miracle she sets them all
in a row on the top BAR of some Sc
Guided gate. Then she forages, and
skins back to feed each little one fly
ing, and it is miraculous how cleverly
and neatly the business is done on both
Sides pattern to our mothers if only
they would take heed Of it. And near
ly all the birds are good parents; owls
come back once in five minutes to
look at their young wrens once IN
two, swallows every second or third
minute, and some Of the others even
oftener than that"
The stranger looked at Madcap keen
ly. Yes, here was the true mothers
instinct beating in her young breast,
the one browning, womanly charm
without which woman is less flower
than weed
IRE not all good" she add
ed, gravely, "a raven deserts her young
as soon as Matched, and none have
ever been able to find out how it is
fed-by dew? or worms bred in the nest
And some, O. but some Of them have
tempers. The white throat will pop his
head up over the hedge and make faces
ut you if he thinks you are near his
nest, flrt his tail, and be positively
insulting in his manner; and nightin-
gales, if you happen to meet them when
taking their young out for first walk,
will pursue you along the hedge
and tell you as plainly as possible to
walk, swapping defiantly in your ears,
get home and there are rogues-
the hen harrierS who beat the fields of
corn regularly like pointers or setter
dogs the ravens, who spend all
their spare time in cutting each other
on the wing, frowned on by the solemn
crows who fly in pairs all the year
round, and look upon Valentines Day
as frivolous business. O. there is
something to laugh at or admire in
everyone, and they are so absurdly like
human beings
'Havc YOU found one who resembles
me-" said the stranger, long ago arous-
ed out Of his thoughts, and turned side
ways in his moss grown elbow-ch to
look at her.
"Pcrhaps," she said, Il little sadly,
for long ago | found one for DOune-
the gold-crested wren, who will not
mingle with crowds, but holds aloOf
in fields and woods, and starveS because
he can suffer, but cannot brook pity. \.
Then there is the crow she said, in a
brighter tone, who sWaggers in his
walk, and is Colonel Busby's double;
and the daW is Mr.. BuSby, with only
half his walk Che would never permit
more; and the magpieS and the jays,
who beat the air with their wings, yet
make no dispatch, are like"
Me- he said, ''for | have practical
Iy stood still these twelve years
Foolish persons with weak wills, y
said the young lecturer, frowning; for
by now she had got into the swing of
her own voice, and sincerely loved its
sound.
And IL blue titmOuse," she continued,
"pcrchcd on the head Of IL SuntioWer,
devouring it's seeds, is like on of those
frivolous young maids who marry only
to devour their husbands substance,
while Il greenfinch who goes a-Wooing
puts on all the languishing die-away
airs and gestures of IL village beauty,
who signs in vain for some rustic jock.
And the SWiftS who dash round in cir
cles are the ne'er-do-weels who never
advance; the larkS and WagtailS, who
walk so daintily, moving one foot be
fore another us we do ourselves, are
fright, brisk house mothers, whose
cottages are all in order, and who are
smart even for their husbands
is that SO very uncommon:' said
the lecturers only pupil.
Very"
Then Il rock when he goes a-court-
ing will try and sing, but only makes
Il harsh and horrible noise that splits
your ears; and a crow will make him.
self ridiculous in the same way, and
they always make me think Of
''Middle-aged men wooing young
maids:"
"To be sure said Madcap, ''as some
times happens i'll our village; but fa
Their always interferes, and puts a STOP
10 StllN VI IuOSc ullcp(ittl lIIdtClltS. LAllt
the peacock is the fine lady whose
worth is all upon her back, so that
none was left over for her voice OF
body. l have seen just such a lady
Then the skylark always seems to me
like some gallant pure soul hampereG
by Il weak body, for soar as he may
and does perpetually, he sinks more
swiftly than he can rise; and the me
tcor-lille flash of the goatsucller al
ways seems to me like the flight of ;
beautiful thought, as the lightning tlaSl
of the kingtisher, like an inspira tiol
that comes into Il human soul, it knows
not whence. And a starting should be
long to the sea, for he SWimS in the al
but there are so many, she added
stopping short in her lecture, Il SHOULD
bore YOU to death if l told you one
half of them
so We will have our doppel-ganger
among the BIRDS" lie said. Well
have found one for you-you are
swallow, for your walk is like tn
flight of one, but your voice is lik
the blackcap's, and l am beginnin:
to suspect you of possessing the OWL
WISDOM
silly swallow, prating thing" quote,
Madcap, laughing; yes, that suits m
very well. But l do not like the ow
he is my only enemy in all the Woo
He can scream, snore, scold, and his
like a thousand snakes, all in less tha
a minute, but I love the deep and so
emn notes he sometimes uses, and tina
makes the forest re-echo for miles