Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-05-03


dy From Catcrpillars.
Edgar, the youngest son of James Keen
or of Claiborne parish, La, had boon very
Ill for several weeks, so III, in fact, that
the little fellows life was despaired Of,
when singular occurrence, in which q
quail played a conspicuous part turned the
tide in his favor. Tho boy had made n
brave struggle with death, but the slow,
wasting fever had almost exhausted his
powers of endurance, and even his appo-
tito had left him. The mother and father
used every means in their possession To
tempt him TO eat, but in vain, and tho
only nourishmCnt ho received had To be
forced upon him
Finally, one morning, when, to the grief
stricken parents, tho end seemed near at
hand, Edgar asked if no might have a
broilod partridge Quail are very plenti'
full in Louisiana, and Mr.. Koener set out
gladly with his gun, mover doubling that
he would kill one for his son. He search
cd the folds and adjoining woods eagerly,
but in vain. At last nc stopped all the
hands on tho place and sent Thorn In every
direction securing the whole noighbor-
hood, yet not bird was started.
lJalo III INC llltIHOOLi leaving lHo iiSh
still hunting, he went homo sOrrowful,
fearing his child might have grown worse
from disappointment. BY and by Mrs.
Kocnor camo and called him softly, and
following her into the sickroom what was
his amazemont 10 sec sitting on the foot
board of Edgar's he'd a round, plump par
fridge They shut the doors and windows
captured the bird and Edgar was soon
smacking his feeble lips over the broiled
brown breast. The little fellow began TO
improve from that moment and still lives
to tell the story Of the bird that, as no
says, saved his life"
Mary, the small daughter Of J.. Q,
Hewett, cattle dealer of Bell county,
Tex, having Como with her parents and
party Of friends on IA picnic excursion to
one of the ncighboring mountain peaks,
got lost in playing about by herself being
the only child in the crowd Mrs. Hewett,
being husily engaged with her friends,
had suffered littlc Mary TO wander about
at her own sweet will, and ere long tho
unsuspocting child had climbed with her
nimblo young feet quito To the summit OF
tho mountain. Like all the outcroppings
OF the region, this peak is composed Of tho
rocks and fossils belonging to the creta
ccan period, 50 that no tracks might be
left in the shay soil. Besides tho noun
tain is literally inwrappcd by "a dense
growth Of scrubby low growing cedars,
making an almost impcnctrablc thicket.
When little Mary discovered that she was
alone ON the mountain top she did just
what any child would do under the cir
cumstanccs-that H., she began to call her
mother But n strong west wind carried
her voice away, and no answer camo from
below.
Now, Mary was good little Sunday
school girl, and a, she sat there desolatc
and alone on the mountain she Iomcmbcr-
Cd some OF che sweet truths she had heard
Of one who is ever ready To- help those that
are lost, 80 what did she do hut put up a
prayer in her lttlo baby way that he
might hclp her. As she prayed she won
dcrld in her innocence how anything big
could mako its way through all those
sprawling. scraeey codars, so she asked
that u littlo bird might be sent TO guide
her
The words had scarcely left her lips
when she saw ployor fitting about in
the codars below her feet. Overioyod at
tho sight, tho child at once began to
scramble down, the bird leading the way
over rocks and cedar brush 1t was n long
and toilsomc descent, with her little feet
slipping and stumbling over the loose
stones but tho bird fitted back and forth
before her, and she did not despair
by and by the journey came 70 an end,
however Mary heard voices and presently
caught sight Of her friends, who had just
become aware Of her absence She ran to
them joyfully, telling Of the bird that had
brought her down the mountain, and as
they looked they saw a plover mount in
air. wnqng its way eastward.
a curious circumstance Of a birds
kindly assistance is thus related by Miss
Alice Moreland Of Tennessee, who, for the
benefit of her health, spent tho spring q
1894 at Lampasas Springs, Tex. Miss
Morcland says Toward nightfall Of an
exceedingly sultry April day "a fierce wind
camc sweeping down the mountains,
bringing what is termed in Texas n wet
northor. Tho wind whistled and shrek
ed and howled, shaking the house with
its force, and the rain came down In per
feet torrents.
II was in my room alone, trying to write
some letters which it was necessary for me
to get off in next mornings mail, but !
was constantly interrupted by horrid little
catorpillars which came crawling under
my door or between the window sashcs
whore JDCy were I'M perfectly joined. INcSc
disgusting little pests had made my life
misery TO Inc ever since spring opened,
ana l really began TO feel that the whole
great state Of Texas was alive with them.
DO you wonder, then, that l relishod
seeing one OF these bristly fellows perched
atop of my paperwcight or crawling up
the leg Of my table; You may imagine
that with the storm raging without and
tho catcrpillars within, my nerves were In
= very shaky condition, To say the least, so
/ was not little startled In the midst Of IL
oil to hear quick tapping on the transom
above my door l looked to behold dark
ness there, and nothing more Again
the tapping, and this time fash Of light
ming showed mo bird fluttcring against
the pane and tapping with his beak.
Como in, poor storm tossed little one,
i said, opening the door, and there flew
In bird, one of the great sparrow fami-
ly, who pcrched himself upon tho broad
picture holding which ran around my
room. lie seemed quito content to remain
there, and as the storm had lullcd some
what, and the catcrpillars were apparent
~ put to rout 10y my frequent and frantic
a a.