Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-20
ANT the bird be roas MI Z 81


S M an't the bird be roasted asked.
s gpon shich my dear better half
threatened to lay the case before the
Society far the Prevention OF Cruelty
to Animals, SO saw that it would be
necessary. to find some other way out
Of the difficulty. At noon an inspira-
tion came to me.
Mother called, 4 have it! Wen
wrap the parrot up carefully in paper
and send it to Director Striegel. I will
write a note, telling him how honored
feel at being able to send him
trif1ing present, which I hope he will
accept, as the bird is of rare species
He will be sure to be f1attered by the
little attention, and we shall be able
to get rid of the bird with credit, for
to give, you know, is better than to re-
ceive.'
with fearful eyes my wife too1s
leave of the dear, sweet, little parrot
which had managed to break vase
before we could capture it. I comfort
ed her by saying that she would be
able to see the bird again when She
called on the frau director. Then our
maid Bertha set out with it, and half
an hour later came back with a very
nice note: My dear SIR it ran, the
acceptance of your kind present. just
received, gives me the greatest pleas
ure. For a long time it has been nv
great desire to possess q parrot l had
not bought one because never found
one pretty enough for me. 1never saw
such 4 beauty as the one YOU have so
Ii MIL e., TIL
thank you most heartily
$50 you see, mother said, what
is an owl to one is nightingale to
another
christmas night arrived. It is al
ways such peculiar time. The older
a man gets the more uncertain he feels
whether it is going to bring him happi-
ness or misfortune. Mother and I had
exchanged presents and sat hand in
hand in front of the sparkling Christ
mas fire. Neither OF US spoke; we were
both busy with our thoughts. At such
times one wonders if it will be the
last. time that one will sit so; if not,
perhaps a year later one or the other
will be resting quietly under the sod.
Our reverie was interrupted by
mediately the servant entered the
room, carrying q very Strengthening
parcel and note.
Mr. Ibsen's compliments. He has
sent you Christmas present.
I must confess I am curious to
know what it can be- said to my wife,
who was busy taking the wrappers off
Then l opened the note and read:
Dear Benjamin, will you accept the
accompanying trihing present? After
great deal of searching / finally I'M
carthed the parrot which am sending
you. The dealer assures me that it
Is an exceptionally fine bird. I know
that you are very fond Of parrots, and
hope you will be pleased to have this
one
"'Confound it all! I reared in rage,
what the deuce do people mean by
sending me parrots? What can I do
with the bird? I'll tell you what: I'll
send this over to the director just as
it is in the cage. He'll be glad to have
the pair. That's whatI' dot
$50 again wrote few words. The
dealer from whom I had bought par
rot in the morning had by chance re-
ccived second and similar bird, which
he had at once offered me. It gave me
great pleasure to ask him to accept the
parrot which was sending him.
Bertha went again and returned
with the message that the director was
SO overjoyed with the present that he
was absolutely unable to find words
in which to express his thanks. He
would call on me the following morn
ing to return thanks in person.
Then we sat down to the table. I
was so happy and SO merry. The great
est happiness consists in making others
happy, and that joy was mine. And
as Bertha cleared the table she related
again ard again, to my great satisfac-
ton, how overcome with JOY the di-
rector had seemed.
Another hour passed-it must have
been close upon nine-when the door
opened and my friend Ibsen entered,
with a cage in his hand.
why, Ibsen, what makes you call
SO late? asked, astonished. -
Well said he, after he had greeted
my wife, the fact is, am sorry to dis
lurb you, but the dealer from whom
! bought the parrot this morning has
just sent me n second similar one, and
am SO glad to be able to give you
q little pleasant surprise that brought
il myself
Deeply moved, I gave him my hand.
You are really very kind I said. How
have I meritcd such attention?'
"'Oh, don't mention it, he said.
but let us put both parrots in the same
cage. am curious to see how they
will behave'
So am T. answered, and then, en-