The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-03-25
OUR LITTLE MARTER.

When alive the sparrow had been the
pet of Mickey Finn, the ten-year-old
son Of the sturdy quarryman. The boy
shared the bird one day with a slip
moose made of thread. The pugnacious
disposition of the sparrow and the
skillful manner in which it had used
Its beak upon his finger mad awakened
the boys admiration, and he released
1t after a captivity of only one day.
In order that he mi ght recognize the
bird If he chanced to see it again, he
led blue ribbon around its neck. Mick
ey was delighted to see that the sparrow
remained in the vicinity of the shanty.
In the morning wheE he fed the chick
ems, the bird flew down from the maple
tree to get its share of the meal. One
morning Mickey missed the sparrow,
hut in the evening it returned and
brought 20 other pugnacious and vitu-
perative little punches of feathers. This
addition to his aviary filled the boys
heart with joy, and day by day the re-
lations between him and the birds be-
came more intimate. They grew SO
tame that they sat On his shoulder and
ate from his hand.
AS the weeks flew by the bird colony
increased in numbers, until at the end
OF month nearly 200 sparrows used
the yard in the rear of the shanty as
rendezvous and took advantage Of
Mickey's kind hospitality. Every morn
ing when the boy went out to milk the
nanny-goat he saw sparrows every
where, Jawing away like garrulous wom-
en-. They perched upon the fence-top,
the roof of the shanty, and covered the
chicken coop with cloud of feathers.
And when he appeared with a dish
OF Indian meal in his hand, there was
sudden uprising, lifting of wings,
which seemed to cloud the sun. When
ne mad placed the pan of cornmeal near
!ne door a savage rush was made for
" each sparrow fighting fercely for
more than its share. Eut it was Mickey's
especial pleasure to watch the sparrow
with the blue ribbon. She exercised a
censorship over the noisy, quarrelsome
nock, and while they were feeding she
ofoVe back the gluttons with her wings
and sharp beak, and helped the weaker
ones to secure portion.
All day the sparrows twittcred around
'ne shanty, but at twilight they flew
away over the hills, returning at SUM-
I'se with unfailing regul arity. Mickey
was sorely troubled over the disappear
snce OF the birds. Several times as they
aew away into the twilight he tried
" ioiiow them, but always without sue
1ss' as the birds flew SO fast that they
were soon lost to sight in the gather
s darkness and the distance. One
sg. s,en'ng. as the flock dipped over the
..o~ OF the hill, quarter of mile
way Mickey turned toward the shanty.
sauuened by the departure of his pets.
ass as ne opened the kitchen door a
.aiht' lar report smote his ear. He
.ufneo' and saw the sparrows f1ying
sask 10 the shanty. AS they came
A.arer he saw trail of feathers be-
n.a nu 'hem, while the birds uttered
ae cries OF alarm. When the flock
a'heo the shanty in headlong flight,
."o OF the sparrows turned somersa uIts
a;s .ue arr and dropped with outspread
@'1ss dead into the yard. Three others
su .ele unable to stand when the flock
saliso.ed' ~ and tumbled hclplessly from
mn Ie renee Their legs were broken.
unen Mickey picked up one of the
Vunoeo birds shot fell from it's coat
feathers into his hand. He took
.uem into the kitchen and tried with
sng,lng, boyish surgery, to bandage
y 'nelr broken legs with the help
matches and cotton. But the deli
a'e birds had been too severely
saocked. One by one they flew over the
m,;.s INTO the calm land, and Mickey
=. s.'ea their bodies in the backyard.
1.,n q a tomato can for a coffin.
.aen came the blizzard, sweeping
"a The valley trpm The Catski!ls,