New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-13


pendicular style OF architecture. Jack lived
inside for a day or two, until he knew better and
then when he found that the world outside the
wicker walls so much bigger than the one in
side he refused to it except as dormitory
When he had passed up the garden steps into
the wonderland Of the house. where the big and
little men and women lived, he sternly and stub
borny declined to enter the waffle door again until
the last thing at night, when he was tired and
seepv and all the big and moons were ex-
tinguished. He did not mind sitting on the roof OF
the cage and occasionally he would open the door
and look round to that his sleeping percn was
In order; but he would keep his wary little eyes
upon the entrance, and II any one tried to close IT,
out he would scramble in a fury OF beak and claws.
and fight for freedom.
II all jackdaws possessed the same mecnan-
ical genius as Jack, church tower would be safe
glance OF his keen little eyes. black beads set Ia
gray-bue circles. and he would understand all tho
details OF make and mechanism. lie found out
how everything made, 80 that he could unmake
it, II one thing fitted into another he would set
to work unfit 1t. He discovered. with disastrous
results to table covers and carpets. that corks could
be extracted from ink bottles. He studied the sew
ing-machne until ne knew exactly how 10 stop It's
benencent career. He would remove some portions
OF the machinery from one place where it was
needed. and locate II somewhere else where II could
do nothing and sometimes he would snap the
thread or rush the spindle OFF. But perhaps his
greatest pleasure in life was to get hold II things
that people wanted most particularly and to hide
them. A dog hides the bone because he thinks he
may want il again. but Jack secreted things simply
because he thought other people might want them;
He loved 10 me sit down and draw; ne would
lump on the table and get absorbed I'm some OBJ
ect and then he would make sudden rush Tor my
fiy with it 10 the window sill Sometimes when the
cork fastened in too firmly he would take me
bottle and ALL and then there would be a big black
smear. and bang words and blotiing paper ana ruo-
bring and efforts at conceament Tor eacn one OF me
and = fla ms nd
would try to cover up his sins. lest the asSresats
might be too big an indictment against me il,tle
sinner. There is sort OF natural history deiusioh
that jackdaws attracted by gitierng ooJec,s
such as silver spoons and diamond rings. our *
perience is that II doesn't matter whether the oo
Jects which are hidden are gitterns or nos, ,n9
only consideration i whether they are ret u 5s nos
trouble his head bit about forks or spoons. ~
face and stop the hands from going round or %
get hold of purse and hide the coins IN dlnsren'
crowns under the iooking-glass and the gold under
the bedclothes. And on one occasion he vas nls'
PrS9rhby Sa bsd seSraSed rom wstcS"ase the
spring mechanism OF which he had successfully
solved. But box Of matches was A keener JOY
TO him than any gold or silver trnkets lie reVelies
y matches Al rst he spptered the s, boxes eat Win
telescope principle of their manufacture and then
he would open the box and take tne matches ma Sa.
the spirit OF mischief only knows. but that ne dd
maid fortunately went into my dressinS-room Just
In time to exinguish small coniiagrauon mat 10
But the one object on which he concentrated all
the mschievous intensity Of his little soul was q
which he knew that treasured. 1t was fragment
that chung TO with hatred more fascinatlns even
than affection. IL was misshapen, miserable ht'
lie thing. which had a nendish trick OF sneakns in.
side the of books. or In the midst or loose
board and jumping on on the floor. where 1t would
hide itself in patch OF shadow. or on piece %,
angry hours have / spen; on my knees hu, not;
alas In prayer cropping about TO find that Nrechei
purniture pIckIng up on the way lost drawing pins
waiting for me with their business sides uppermost
os tn Eoo and III il never ieft his mind
would be sitting working busily WITH ne dse r,
the little black body would swoop across my draw.
! ing and in a second Jack would be on the window
| ledge, with the precious ndia-rubber In his mouth.
watching out OF the corners of his eyes for my,
next move. l knew that II pursued him, the prs
had dssemble and pretend .hat II vas IA .
matter Of no importance Thsn JACK wS Tba De
OF shadow behind the leg OF table wou.i S9" ba
! times be selected. sometimes the object would %
rushed down between the back and the seat Of
chair or the corner OF the carpet or mat w9uin os
lifted up. the stolen article deposited ana 'nen
Soon after Jack came to us We discovered nat ne
suffering from favorte lackaaw '9ip I,,rIs
ebony s II. ie and fee, with Emans Embrocson
0hs is not ar advertlsemenn ar feathers OF one
wing. but II did not interfere mucn Win me ,,r
the purpose of getting into the house and he never
showed any inclination to Join his wild kinsiok,
When a flight OF rocks passes overhead there are
pretty sure 10 be some jackdaws among them, ar,
whenever Jack heard the familiar cries ne N.u,a az,
attempt to join them He did not live long enough
to master human language. but ne invent Low S' ~
the general eject OF human beings Conversation.
And he would about when he was happHt vnsi,
terng. pratng. chuckling and chortns to n, srs
with evident appreciation OF his powers bu ra
one note whish he only I ,n,o an cpbsars ora
drawer and directly he got Inside his tail NOUN ,
culver and his eyes r, shres There was evidently
some peculiar fascination IN these situations s., m.
paternal and tribal habitation in the church tower a.,
But perhaps the most wonderful thing ABOUT w us,
OF Will and the determined way In which ne oras.es
his daily walk Of te He slept m,a in his cage % Sn
ing for the servants to come and take him down I,
stairs II they were late he would grow imp, nS
stamp about. and try to open the door ulrec.nn
he was released he would rush TO the beetletrssIE
MT of the cover and have Look ro1n S sne during
the night Then he you'd start his breakfast bee,s
after beetle was picked up s, and swallowed some
After breakfast came the bath ldrss s,s rG sar
dem. and filled with water When the weather wa; wal,
cold. the children raised the temperature WIN n''
round hafadozen times before plunsns In T lSsaa
sit aSwE duck his as' head and splash ~
him BY tapping his wings ,, SsS ro%nsd
worked From the nrst he mace up ms IN r ,h. land.
ing at the top OF the stairs in front OF mir.U ~
Here he would preen and arrange MS piumase,
With the other tackdaw which was 50 exactly ~ Xxx
himself and which mimicked everyshr 'S Sneren.
rooms and helped With the painting and sf,ef
dies and Wasps had 10 be hunted He killed a sns
swallowed by the score but ne n nrew waS he
would nip IL and then carefully insert the squ,'i,
bunch OF legs between the leaves OF pook; Pu was
doy,r with one foot and leave II there. lpnrer
nm institution for him, and he knew the dinneros.
as we'll as any one In the house There was n a some
choice dish stewed or a fried tomato or Dra u,.
fu OF red currant jelly or slice OF no. JUICY sswsys