Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-01
TWO ORPHAN OWLS.
Their Experience in Trying to Get
Their Days Sleep In .
Noisy City.

NOlhy Suys
From the Utica Daily Press.
Once upon a time on a lovely day in
spring a brisk young school boy came In
from the woods in the Deerfield hills with
twinkle in his eyes. both hands deep
down in his pockets, and at the bottom of
each pocket soft. downy little screech
owl. A strange protuberance up near the
pocket of his jacket revealed the mother
owl, who sad to say, had been badly
though unintentionally injured in the tus-
sle of the capture. and her wounded con.
dition detracted much from the glory OF
this much-coyeted capture. Careful nurs-
ing kept her alive for many days. She
grew very friendly with her young master,
and seemed gratefully to appreciate the eff
were ended, and in attempting a flight
across an empty stall she fell back dead
on the floor with a strange little hoot or
farewell and left her orphan owiets to the
tender care of strange world. They
shared the barn in happy content with
the other barn pets, which at that time
ing squirrel, and having found for them
selves a secluded hole in the partition
walls, made it serve their purpose as a
family residence instead of hole in their
ancestral beech tree across the river:
The busy, hustling life of the city barn,
with its goings and comings In, seemed a
the woods. and the morsels and fresh beef
-plundered, it is feared. more than one
from the tenderloin cut-proVed an agree
able change from the wood mice OF the
rural larder. Clothed in mantles of exquis-
lite texture and finest tint of gray, they
surveyed our garden world with calm com
passion from the shoulder OF their young
master, and when brought into the house
inspected its unwonted belongings with un-
ruftied dignity of demeanor; Perched on a
high window cornice. they looked down on
our lower world with an air of being in it
though not of it. II something unusual at
tracted their attention they possessed the
<,.<, IS tka tanl n
the neck and reaching out with an express
sion of much curiosity, and quite as sud
denly of contracting themselves into the
softest, dOwniest ball of feathers, delight
full to pat and to pet.
Their preying faculties were still unde-
veloped: their eyes and beaks had not yet
bird of prey which so distinctly mark the
grown-up owl. All that these little, round
faces expressed was quiet surprise, ex-
cept when a sunbeam unkindly struck them
in the eyes.
These birds can never belong to the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ami
ers of wood mice. squirrels and smaller
| species of birds, and the expression on the
face of a grown specimen now ending his
blood-curdling in its fierceness. No mercy
| or quarter to the enemy could ever be eX-
pected from such an eye and beak. and
by e far are the euass best days days OF their life: ~
What grief filled the hearts OF all con-
cerned when a bright morning found the
| little owls gone from their usual haunts
and a melancholy silence reigned over the
barn when the call for breakfast failed to
bring them futtering down In glee. Thieves
were suspected, murder most foul was
| found. the cat was whipped, the squirrel
severely scolded, and general sorrow pre-
vailed. To relieve his sad spirit the young
master kicked an empty tomato can, caus-
| ing 1t to roll across the barn floor. when
| presto! out rolled two very sleepy little
! owls. swapping their bills testify in protest
at being SO rudely reused from slumber and
| rolled out of the snug little hole they founc
| ready at hand.
Finding tomato cans an uncertain place
| of refuge they discovered an ancient boot
| in a corner and ensconced themselves snug
| ly in it's dark depths for a long nap. But
| an amateur carpenter needed the heel OF
| that same boot for hammer and at the
| second stroke the little sleepy heads tum
| bled out. much disturbed at this untimely
| industry. These disappearance at last fail
| ed to create surprise, and when one OF then
| failed to appear for a day it was only tht
| mournful uneasiness of the little mate tina
excited attention and instigated search
| Alas! A telephone wire only half concealet
| in an apple tree had caught and held th'
! owlet as 1t flew heavily against 1t, and hs
i was hanging stiff and cold, hidden from
| sight by the pink and white blossoms. leay
| ing the little survivor to drOOp and pint
! and finally to fall prey to a piratica
| rat, who left only little heap of soft gray
| feathers as memorial of the prettiest pet
| that ever inhabited the barn.