New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09
THE TOp-sTORY BOARDER'S FRIENDS.

THEY ARE As CHEERFUL UNDER ADVERSE wv
n1T1oNs AS ONLY sPARRows CAN BE.
occunants Of ,op-story front rooms on the sunny
ido 81 closely bull, streets are Weakened these cold
rrav mornings by the witter OF bird notes. chIP-
ing and futtering suggestive of spring
All along under the caves of the houses Wy "'''
down the street, wisps of straw am iANr''i"t'
hanging from the hollow ornaments JUST uhuer 'e
edge Of the roofs tell where the spArro"S nav
taken up their winter quarters using me d'J''V"'
telegraph wires for a promenade ground ana poule-
, Tow tho colony The wire sways sometimes
when they poise upon It and in fancy 1t may re-
mind them of the leafy bougns Of summer.
The uroh,rusive little sparrows have only tonch
of tawny orange in their wing feath'rs' ana ''
SO blended with the brown OF theT coats ~ ~
match admirably the sombre colorins of the houses
and pavements They are not beauuiui anu '"''
cannot sing: they can only chirp out their g'adness
N the dawn; bu' their plump cheerfulness uh'er
adversary declares their wonderful facility Tor max
ing the best Of things Making the best Of thihgS-
that is what the topsory boarder Is doing IN rooms
that are revelation in the possibilities OF the term
FURNISHED"
Possibly the boarler has n nue that brings neat
from below TO one side OF his papered wall ana warns
himself there at much after the fashion Of me
snarrovs who balance themselves on the tolesrap
wire in default OF leafy bough The top-s'oTy
hoarler remembers the brown-coated twiitorers on
snowy DAYS and brings fragment Of bread ior
them when he returns from his morning meal
stumbling 1t on the broad window seat OUTSIDE VIII
satisfaction and without a thought Of the violation
Of law that he is committing. In the early dayHSht
hours the sparrows are busy darling down Into the
stree, investigating the contents Of the garbage
barrels before they are carried away. Tiny "!Sps
of down. Of hair. ships Of twine. bis or stra" are
borne upward and Mr. and Mrs sparrow iurh's'
their particularly appropriated hollow with sueh
of Yer
the edge
Tho ,olepranh wire Is TOO risky and elevated n
promenade ground for any but sober-headed old
folks the gidly, reckless youngsters VIII no' arrive
until spring when safer. II less cosey quarters can
be arranged for them.
1T would be folly TO try TO teach an nrant spa spa
me dwarf window ana twists his face upward IN
order 10 scrullnZc his friends quarters Hop'
no oyerzeaous mother Will attempt IT,
The top-story b,ardcr is as harmless ana uno DO
trusive as the sparro"s. ana the only occasion On
which he asserts himself j. when u" nlaId APPEAR.
with her brush and pan and proceeds - w, y
clean the outer w!ndo" leiso d." sp'e"' WIZ" '''''
crumbs. -, 80 ,-, =.
he cries but in vain, IL Is too late they nave gone
be2H n, proyncoo, may find them by the base
mont windows, he reflects ana inc W',l "''t.'s
ina; TINS is a queer boarlcr. inieei ana resolve
10 leave his window seats qns%g N lu'u'' f., ,ho
The top-story boarder takes much interest III 'Ne
snarro,y colony and specula'es about IL IN un'c-
cnpied moments Mpa, are Ir IA. ' nnarticnlar
matched ornament that MI. HIoWncoai hai Iasi
Sinking Tor ii in advance? l. there landiaiy, or
isnitress or janitOr in charge ~ THESE d's'it h''
tenants? What rent 90 they pay ana what par
ticular hollow under the caves ranks hiE"'st III "e-
m o.,tr' he wonIcrs if there was not grand
squabbs in the autumn Tor acc"ia,ho 'at'o"S' ana
He is thinking thus. proppod up against his
precious nue that somehow noes not I1iiAte Inc