The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-26
FACTS ABOUT BIRDS.
Their Use and Abuse Part They Take
In Literature, Politics and Song.


Birds are great factor in things rural,
and lend certain amount of animation
TO the woodland scene which would
otherwise be dull in the peryading
silence. Lovers of Nature and pot
hunters viii recognize the truth OF that
remark.
great many stories have been writ
ten ABOUT BIRDS, because they are used as
SYMBOLS OF SUCH attributes as innocence,
beauty, freedom, happiness and ease.
their lives are regarded as one.constant
round OF unauoyed pleasure, particularly
iree nom the cares and sordid trials that
assail man Ia his struggle for existence.
ms IS mistake 10 some extent for it
is noticeable fact that birds have To
scratch very hard frosty mornings, with
several inches of snow on the ground, for
scanty breakfast, and that after roosting
ON the cold, wet limb of a leafless tree
all night. That's no snap, as any bird
viii inform you.
We often read about the oinnocent
BIRDS and draw moral lessons for the
benefit OF our future heirs aud assigns,
which We call their attention TO as we
gaze out OF the window on SUNDAY morn
ing. But IN dilating on the innocence of
birds We forget TO call TO mind the mag
pie, the hawk, or the crow, any one OF
whom will steal anything tney can lay
hands on, and feel no compunctions
about II, either.
We hear a great deal abont the happy
Joyous, birds, and fancy that man has the
meanest Job in the whole animal king
dom. 1t is quite true that some birds
are supremely happy, but that happiness
Is obtained through the misery OF nerv-
Gus people, who can never live within ten
miles OF parrot, and with very good
reason, for that article of unalloyed hap
plness nnds ITS Joy in screeching loud
and long, with such rasping haru ony
that 1t would try the soul of any man,
except German boarding house keeper,
or that fat woman around the corner with
four cats and dog that she kisses. Par
rots have no ear for music, but they try
hard TO sing and do not succeed SO well
with vocal culture, as they do with the
study OF the English language, which
they become quite perfect in, especially i'm
learning BY heart certain pungent ex-
pressions used by truckmen to their
horses, the color of which would shock
the moral nature of anybody. except
those who allow for the wickedness OF
the world, and to them the parrot is
funny.
Sometimes we have held up to our gaze.
the bird as an emblem of beauty and are
very earnestly told that its form and
feathers constitute all that is embodied i'm
the word beautiful But / would respect
fully Like TO ask any defeated candidate
for State Governor il he secs ANYTHING i'm
BIRDS, as he regards himself pictured In
a comic paper eating crow the morning
after election. And yet some birds are re-
garded as beautiful by some people. for
the many-hued colors OF the feathery
tribe are greatly admired by certain
people who have a name for poupciDg on
chickens unawares in the Silly darkness
of the night 1 say this without preiu-
dice, my only object being TO note tho
strangeness OF ideas aud the popularity
AI ~ n It.sl -
plumage may be considered beautiful. and
be might allow that thing Of beauty is
A JOY forever, but II isn't the parrot.
some people will go 90 church on sunday
enveloped in an air of com |
placency and return home with sneering
about their neiRhbor's new |
spring bonnet and scoTnfully remark that |
'iine festhers make fine birds. This h |
very unkindt to the birds, for although |
birds have their faults, the beauty OF /
heir raiment should not be twisted into |
wise saw TO show how little human /
nature can be. Birds, however, try TO /
'fset man by adopting many Of his ways, /
md more torcible characteristics, tor /
very body has seen the sparrow and his /
Site eDgaged IN family jar, and
watched the family rolat ions arrive 10 |
oach either side during the progress of
he trouble. IL very frequently happens
hat they all take a band In the Difficulty,
nlNh tnth hrouih'n tue proportions OF "A |
rec tight and the attention OF the general
,ublic Is arrested, aud from the neigbor-
ng windows they watch the broil and
each the children how wicked il is To
Iuarrel, but at the same time down i'm
heir hearts, they take issue with one
idc or the osher, and secretly rejoice II
be favoritc wins.
some birds labor along through life
nder irightful dolusion, and tread the
arth with vain coBCgtr that is astound-
AZ. just think OF the turkey, nursed
nto carly maturity with tender care
nd iattened with the fullness OF the
arth. lie imaginos himself above his
,lows. and struts about the barn with
nd homely feathers, which his pampered
nagination leads him TO believe are h
cautiful be~ond compariscn, and lust
bout the tim, he thinks he ought 10
,oeiVe nice tbristmas present OF