Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-04-28

the wind carry the fragrance SO 1ar.
i On one of the sweetest mornings In
all the May came two birds to the tree
two robins, in their honeymoon, VINO
were out in search of house. They
put their heads first on this side, then
on that; wished, perhaps, it had been
a cherry tree; Calculated the probable
number OF small boys in the nelgn-
Dorhood who were making collections
OF eggs; the angle-worm crop in the
neids below; in short, all those>mlnor
details OF house-hunting less interest
ing to an outsider than to parties con-
cerned.
Robin Red Breast bent his head very
near his wife, and they talked it all
over with great deal of twittering
and many tender glancei
SO sweet a spot, dear love! Shall
it be here?" Nobody heard what the
little bride-bird said. If she spoke at
all 1t was very low-there was need
that but one should hear-perhaps it
was only a look. Be that as it may.
the mate stretched his brown wings
twice, thrice for the joy Of it, and
darted off and away, down over the
meadow, his red breast twinkling above
the green. Home! home! homer he
sang over and over; "home! home!
His heart was overlooking, and he
could not keep it to himself.
All this while his wee wife was taxi
ing account of her surroundings. She
hoped on one twig, then on another,
twisted hnr hood fI1rn hor
bright eyes, until one might justly con-
clude she had viewed the matter from
every side. She saw one thing, too,
that neither had noticed before.
Through the open window, framed in
with apple boughs, some one was
watching them-a child with great
dark eyes and halo of golden hair.
So sweet face-but, oh, SO thin and
white! If the little bird had been on
the bough just above she might have
seen that the child sat in a large wheel
chair-sat without moving, her hands
clasped in her lap, and hardly daring
to breathe for fear of frightening the
robins away.
The little bride-bird stood still, too,
looked her all over, and waited. By
the time her mate had finished his tour
, of the fields, however, for reasons best
known to herself, she was ready to
begin.
Should it be the crotch at the cor
ner, or the one right under the win
dow between the two big boughs? The
crotch at the corner was wider, fine
breezy locality, but the other was so
sheltered, no one could possibly peep
from without. Some foolish people,
you know, always will take to love in
cottage They wasted very few
words over the matter-there is little
argument when both argue on one side
it was all taken out in hopping and
chirping.
Mamma, mamma" whispered the
little girl at the window; come soft
! ly! l think they are building nestv'
! She turned her head by inches in her
/ fear of making a stir. There was
a light step, rustic of silken skirts,
and lady stood by the chair-a lady
who had eyes like the child's, dear
eyes! in which the love almost covered
the pain-Quite hiding it when the lit
tie girl raised hers to look into them!
Her hands played as by habit with the
curly hair. She, too, looked out, not
at the birds, but way beyond through
the apple-boughs. 'They?" she
asked, dreamily; who, dear love?"
and she used the very name, though
she knew it not, that the little mate
had just called his bride, for love is al
ways the same.
"The robins" answered the child.
you are too high, mamma! Be soft!
Right here, do you see? The dearest
husband and wife, and he has the red
dest breast, and they have been talk
ing so! Listen, mamma, just hearv'
In her excitement she spoke so fast
that the mate-robin heard, and stop
: ped short, with a long straw in his
bill, which was to serve as a founda-
ton for the house. He rolled his
round eyes awhile, then turned and
looked at his wife, but she was hop
ping about with the utmost unconcern
) 80 after some reflection, he, too, went
to work "Oh!" breathed the little