The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-07-09

without experiencing profound emo
ton. Yonder, from that stone, | took
my first flight, plunged for the first
time into the water! can still behold
her who stood for me in the place of g
mother (she was black hen) shrek
ing and tapping her wings, and, from
the shore where fate held her fast, gaz-
ing after us and pursuing us with her
cries! She trciAllcd for us, as the
stream was deep and the mil-race form.
ed little waves that made us bob up
and down, like so many corks. Yet
Of all her foster, children, the one re-
garding whose fate she grew the most
uneasy was the frailest the est-beloved,
among us, my fostcr-sister, Blanchctte.
why, you will perish, YOU miserable
little creature! Blanchcttc, my dar[
| ing Blanchettc! thus exclaimed our
| hen mother in her Distress 1t would
have broken your heart, my dear sir,
to hear her. A pike would have wept
for pity! As for us, needless of daE-
| ger, We dashed down the stream. beat
ING the air with our little, stiIl-downy
wings and clacking our little bills.
| Nevertheless, we did feel somewhat
scared; the icy GOODNESS of the water
well-nigh took our breath away, and
our unframed feet wobbled about in
the water without helping our progress.
At certain moment deserted Blanch-
cite staring wildly at me-a wave
larger than its fellows WAS on the point
of capsizing her, while another, ad-
vancing, bluish-tinted and silver-fring-
ed, almost froze her with fright. Quick
er than lightning fash, threw my
self between her and the foaming water,
and, guiding the timid child as best l
could, | led her back to the shore
Such nuency oflanguage on the part
of my duck reminded me of the impor-
tant fact that his father had written
for the newspapers.
From that day onward he con-
tinucd, "nothing concerned her that
did not also interest me. | followed
her everywhere, pushing aside the herb
age where it grew too tall, and, if it
were chilly, lying close to her, pressing
my downy feathers against hers and
warming her as much as | could
When our bowl of food was fetched to
her, and sometimes she stretched her
little head out so gracefully, and dip.
ped her feet in the bowl with such co.
quettishness, that lost my appetite,
and remained looking on with my bill
wide open. One day her small yellow
foot slipped upon the edge Of the bowl
and away tumbled my dearest duck
ling into the bran and milk whercwith
the bowl was filled can see her yet
struggling, laughing, and crying all in
a breath. | laughed too; for, to tell
the truth, there was no danger, and
she seemed to me so charming in her
awkwardness | saw her first white
feathers show. her bill grow longer
and her feet surcr, while her cOquet-
tishness began to manifest it,yll; al
length she became full-sized female
duck, while l also assumed the full
statue of our species.
Zone fine morn, as | was entering
the water, / perceived therei.l my own
image. and was surprised to behold my
blue-and-gold head, my cleaning neck
and two or three little colored feathers
beginning to curl ut the end of my
tail. Blanchcttc was behind me, gaZ.
ing ut me in 4 way that made me thrill
all over That was, if | remember
Alright, the very morning when | be-
came madly enamored.
"Thenccforth we had all things in
common, sharing each others worms
and cuddling to dOzc in some ray OF
sunshine. Yes, loved her madly, sir
and without fear of cont rauiction | can
say that she loved me also. There
was some envy awakened the coun
try everything is observed and remark
ed upon. Among fowls, above all, YOU
can have no idea what gossip there is
what jealousy, what hatred without {
cause! If the gray geese at the mil
chanccd to surprise us in corner
there WAS no end to the tittering, an(
it took the big stupid creatures half ;
day to digest their insolent mirth. AL
though Blanchcttc and | felt ourselvc:
above such Stiffness, we often staid OF
the edge of the brook, and fell into tn,
habit of wandering among the reeds
Those were the happiest moments o
my life; then it was that | grew oh
servant, understood nature and became
Il poet unawarcs. Do not laugh. my
friend" added the duck, placing his
foot on mine in friendly fashion.
Il have scrutinized nature more
narrowly and better than you. tolC
you just a little while ago, when look
ing at your picture, that you were 1al
out of the way, and | told the truth
TO be sure, there are green daubs o
paint to represent trees, and Other
daubs of blue to Indicate the sky; but
where are my tiny white blossoms il
whose petals the plant-lice lie con
cealed? Where are the reddish stems