The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-17
TiIly'S Bird.

All the little girls in Tilly Saunders
Sunday school class had birds on their
hats. Janey Rogers had a darling
bumming bird with q scarlet throat,
Sally Beverly had Il red bird with be-
witching perky tail, and jamie Harmon
had two yellow birds that looked just
like canaries. All three hats came
from Miss Bramhall's shop in Sowyer,
and the oirds came to her in paste
board box all the way from New York.
Still they were Enthusiastically birds,
and must have somewhere sung, and
darted about in the air after food for
themselves and their birdlings, thou
sand times more beautiful to look at
than when dead and stuffed upon q
hat, however pretty.
But Tilly did not think of that. She
simply thought her brown hat looked
bare and plain with its brown ribbons
and milk-white daisies sewed on by
busy Mamma Saunders, and one Sun
day afternoon her feelings got too
strong for her, and while mamma was
reading a delightful book she burst out
crying, and with many sobs confessed
she was weeping because she hadn't
a dear little bird for her hat.
1t should be explained that Tilly
did not live like the rest of her class,
in a smart white house in the village,
but two miles out in the country in
rambling, red farm house, about which
clustered lilacs and damask roses, and
with orchards, and fields Of wheat, and
rose-red clover, and dalsy-sprinkled
meadows near. Papa Saunders had
died when Tilly, who was now seven,
was only three, and Mamma Saunders
had all she could do to keep the old
home, and its surrounding lands, whole
and in good shape; so without much
thought of the wisdom of killing birds
to put on little girls hats, or any ones
headgear, she said as gently as possible
that such use of money was not to be
thought of for them.
but, mamma, I can catch bird for
Tilly," spoke up Jack, who was twelve,
and who with Alec, who was ten,
thought everybody that Tilly wanted
ought to be hers. "Grandpa Rugg
knows how to make box trap with a
figure-of-four to hold it open, and he
could stuff one. He stuffs owls so they
look as if they were going to hoot, and
has a beautiful gray heron by his
hall door,"
"I picked all his currants for him,
mamma he would be sure to do it for
nothing" piped up Alec, who, like his
brother, could not bear to see his sister
crossed. "Perhaps we can catch yell
low bird, or a blue bird the yellow
birds come to the fence corners where
the thistles are in the meadow, and
there are blue birds down in the shade
bushes"
"I'd hate to have you catch a blue
bird or yellow bird" said Mamma
Saunders thoughtfully. Gan English
sparrow wouldn't so much matter"
II wouldn't want sparrow" said
Tilly decidedly.
Grandpa Rugg, the next neighbor,
was very ready to help, and on Tues
day morning two traps were ready and
set in the sheep pasture, and six eyes
were watching from the hedge, and
their owners as still as the mouse of
the story book. At last yellow bird
caught sight of the seeds in the artfully
baited boxes. His tail and wings were
dashed with black; gold was never so
softly brilliant as his back. Never, in
all his short life, had he seen 40 fine
spread all ready for his billS Down,
down he came and in moment was
a prisoner. Something dreadful SEEM
ed to have taken hold of Tilly's throat.
AS she ran forward with the boys her
breath came in gasps. When Alec
softly secured the prisoner in his hand,
the truth that this sky-dweller must be
killed before she could wear him upon
her hat was quite too much to bear.
"Quick ! Let him go1' she cried.
"Oh! 1 don't want him. I wouldn't
have him for anything" she added, as
the captive's softly-tinted mate ap-
peared evidently in great distress.
Alec obeyed, and the released bird
futtered few feet, shook his ruffied
plumage then, as if to make quit sure
he was free, rose, up, up, up beyond
the usual flight of his species, as if
in mere joy of liberty.
"That's where they belong" said
Tilly, pressing against Jack fondly.
"I've got all over wanting bird to