The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-20

thinking hut We can give our tnoueneS
more pleasing direction and that is
rest. And so, when ] get tired and
perplexed reading and Illuminating
about the war and the negroes and po,
litical corruption, | take a day of and
commune with nature and her wonder
ful works, which are ever before us
and around us. It is ever rest to
hear it thunder and to watch the
gathering Of the clouds and welcome
the big drops Of rain that fall upon
the steps. When the lightning is
flashing and the thunder stroke comes
quick and sharp and near, we retire
from the yeranda and for little while
humble ourselves under the mighty
hand Of God, and that is rest. Then
let! us not worry and perplex ourselves
all Of our waking hours about things
which are afar of, but take shelter
and comfort at home. Let us change
the diet; and it will rest us mentally
and physically. My good father was
philosopher and would say to me,
now, my son, I want you to hoe
these potatoes and when You get tired
Won can weed Che onions for rest. !"
Professor Mitchell, the great astrono-
mer, told men that when his mind was
wearied with long and perplexing cal
culations and his eyes were tired OF
figures, nothing relieved him more
than q game Of whist with his wife
and children. It WAS delightful
rsss.
But my sweetest rest is a frolic with
the little grandchildren and listening
to their innocent discourse. There
are two little girls of three and five
years, who visit me almost every day
and climb my knees and kiss my old
rough cheek, and say that am not
old nor ugly and every night | help
their mother put them t'obed and tell
them the same old stories about Jack
the giant killer, and the bean vine and
the wolf and the pigs and little Red
Riding Hood, and what I did when |
Was little boy By and BY the mon
otone Of my voice becomes their lul-
laby and the little eyes close and the
little heads fall over on my shoulder
and they are OF for the land Of dreams.
When the father has to go to his drug
store every night an old grandpa is .
help, to tired mother, and I am
yet &c for that.
I saw pair Of old-fashioned blue
birds to-day and felt like the friends
of my youth had come back. Some
years ago they disappeared and I have
wondered what became Of them. A
jsybird with only one leg comes every
day to the fountain to drink. l am
trying to made a friend Of him, but he
is very shy and suspicious. Some
cruel boy hit him with a sling shot, l
reckon, for / see them sometimes in
the back alley trying to get shot at
my pigeons. Maybe that jaybird will
meet that boy in purgatory. Boys
are as mean about killing birds as our
government is about killing the Fill
pinos. But this is Christian coun-
try, and. I reckon, it is all right.
These pigeons that have a happ5 home
at my house are an interesting study
for the young people. We have about
. hundred Of them, and some Of them
are ever before US as We sit on the
veranda. They are Of many colors,
from almost black to pure snow
white, aud at all hours Of the day
they gather at the little hydrant foun-
tain in the front yard and drink and
then fly away. The pigeon is the
only bird that drinks by draught or
suction, as we do. All other birds
raise their heads and let the water
run down by gravity and then dip the
bill down for another drop. Pigeons
do not feed their young with worms
or bugs, but the old birds digest their
food in their own craws into a curd
and ejecs it into the mouths of their
young. Hence it is that very young
pigeons or squads generally die when
they are given away. Pigeons are not
exactly polygamists, but the males
have no particular mate and they will
feed the young Of any mother. In
deed, they do most of the feeding.
They are not gallinaceous nor razores.
Now let the young people hunt up
those big words. They can walk, but
cannot hop. Most all other birds can
hop, but cannot walk. Of course
pigeons are pigeon-tocd, and so
.,o .oua PoILs We know. A Dig