The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-17

creasing until it has become a prevail ing fashion. Sometimes the whole bird Is placed upon a bonnet. Sometimes wing, sometimes two wings, sometimes the costly plumage. An editorial in the Journal and Courier" of this city furnishes certain facts to which l wish to call attention, A dealer In London received last year from the East Indies 100000 humming birds, 6000 birds of paradise and some 100000 miscellaneous | birds. In one auction room in London, | within a period of four months, over SO0000 East and West India and Bra zllian bird skins, and thousands of pheasants and birds of Paradise were offered for sale. It is said that into | England alone between 25,000,000 and 3O,OOO,0 900 birds are imported yearly and that for Europe the number reaches 15O000, 900, Hence the fashionable de- sire for birds leads to the annual de- mand of between 100000, 900 and 300 000,- 900 birds, The aigrette the most dainty and delicate of all plumes, is from the breast of the white heron, and is a part of the wedding garment which must be taken from her at l the breeding time, sacrificing both the | mother and her brood. This is a direct violation of the command of the text, l When the young are matched it is easy | to catch the parents as they will not | forsake their nestlings Every aigrette | feather is said to cause the death of the mother bird It also leaves a nest l full of crying young calling for food which never comes until death from | starvation ends the cry and the life. In 1 Florida the heron species is already an- 1 initiated. In Morocco ten years ago | there were thousands of the beautiful l gold-headed coclSatoos; now all are gone. In the district of the Rhone delta in France wires are stretched along the shore connected with electric batteries. and when the swallows from Africa, weary with their flight over the sea, rest on the wires they fall to the ground and their corpses are placed in baskets and sent to the milliners in Paris. No wonder a Japanese paper has said Tt is not enough that the l Europeans compress themselves with steel and whale-bones, they also de- mand for adornment our beautiful and useful birds. But when they deck | themselves with these birds it Is not only crying wrong to our agriculture, but moreover a mockery to their boast ed civilization"
 May the editor of the Journal and Courier, to whom I am indebted for the above facts and who sits through a great part of the night, half buried by papers, be cheered by some sweet song of a bird as he goes home in the early morning and be lulled to sleep by the twitter of sparrows as if they would sing the praises of the champion of the birds.
 I would no more spend my breath in speaking against any ordinary change | of the fashion than I would spend it in speaking against the changes of the | wind. I would no more condemn ordi- nary changes of costume than l would condemn the changing form and color of the clouds, or the changes in the foliage through the seasons of the year. The instinct of decoration In the female breast is a good one and the human race has advanced In civilization large | ly through making cloths. Let the wo- I men continued to adorn themselves In the costumes which fashion may dic- tate, and I shall not spend my time either In studying or speaking of the 1 same. l shall simply admire their taste, neatness, grace and beauty when they, evoke admiration. But here Is a fashion which fosters cruelty, violates an express command of God, and takes away the life of innocent and beautiful | creatures. Regard for the divine law and love of the birds alike compels me to speak on their behalf
 1 must speak of the birds. I must plead the cause of these most beauti- full, graceful, and, in their way, gifted creatures. I plead the cause of these companions of spring" messengers of the morning, living flashes and flames of brilliant beauty, pulsating bodies of ardent love, sources of sweet and soul ful song. I plead for them who cannot plead for themselves If the Church of Christ does not inspire and cherish the spirit which will give security and safe- ty to the birds, even as they found se- curity and safety for their nests and themselves in the ancient altars and temples, l know not where they may dwell in safety. Surely my plea will not be in vain. l know one woman who took an aigrette from her bonnet when she learned it's source and its cost-the life of a bird. The day before Easter ] dropped into a florists and the florist made some remark to me respecting flowers and the trimming of spring bonnets I said intended to preach a sermon soon against the custom oi wearing birds and aigrettes A woman standing by, stranger to me, said: q took the aigrettes out of my bonnet when I saw in paper how it was SC cured" Surely these two women are but types of many more. I know that women will not only condemn the GUS tom, but that they themselves vii plead for the bird Here is part of z poem which one woman has writer and published in the Congregationalst "The air of the forest is heavy with
 fragrance,
 As gay-tinted flowers their petals un.
 curl;
 But two flashing wings that God color.
 ed as brightly
 Are rigid and still-for the whim of g
 girl.
 "The little brook catches Its breath as il 1 passes,
 ! Sha 6ow liac dark on the Ivnnde