The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-09-22


moment, and the straw did not blow
down. but the hermit's prayers never
ceased: "May the Lord come and de
strov this sinful world, so that mer
may not sink deeper into SIM"
Then the wind began blowing again
| and the straw blew down from the her
mit's big knotty hand. But the birds
came back, and tried to lay the founda
ton of their new home between the
fingers. Suddenly clumsy, dirty
thumb bent over the sticks, holding
them fast, and four fingers bent over
the palm, so that it became comfort.
able place to build in. But the hermit
kept on praying: Lord, where is the
fire that destroyed Sodom.'
And he saw feverish visions of the
Judgment day. But at the same time
his eyes began to follow the flight OF
the little birds as they went back and
forth like lightning, with little chirps
of satisfaction, putting additional
straws to their nest.
The old man had no idea of moving
away. He had made VOW to stand
in one spot with outstretched hands all
day. in order to move God to hear his
PRAYER The more exhausted he be-
came, the more vivid visions filled his
brain. He heard the walls of cities
fall. Terror-stricken people rushed
past him, followed by angels with
flaming swords. The little wagtails
were building all day long, and the
work made great progress. There was
plenty of material down by the river.
They had not time to rest; glowing
with excitement, they hurried back
and forth; and towards night they
were well-nigh up to the beam of the
roof. But the hermit fixed his eye on
them more and more, following the
course of the birds, scolding them when
they fumblcd. angry when the wind
did them any harm, and impatient if
they stopped.
The sun set, and the birds hid in
their usual resting-place among the
rushes over night.
When morning came, the wagtails
thought at first that yesterdays ex-
rerience must have been beautiful
dream. They had taken their land
marks, and flew straight to their nest;
but it was gone. They searched all
over the plain, rising high up in the
air, but there was not trace of nest
or tree. At last they sat down on
some stones by the river to think, wag-
ging their tails up and down, and turn
ing their heads. Where had the tree
and the nest gone?
But hardly had the sun ri.cn trifie
over the woods on the other side of the
river, before their tree came walking
back, taking the same position as the
day before. 1t was just as black and
knotty as then. holding their nest on
the top of something that must he a
dry branch. Then the wagtails began
building again, without stopping to
mediate over the many wonders of
nature.
Hatto, the hermit, who used to drive
away the little children from his den,
telling them that it would have been
better for them not to have been born,
he who used to wade out in the mud
to curse happy young people, who
came rowing up the river in gay boats,
he whose evil eye the shepherds
eared,-did not return from his place
10y the river, all on account of the lit
tie birds. He knew that God wanted
him to stay there praying with lifted
arms, till the birds had brought up
their young, and, if he endured until
then, he knew that he would be heard.
This day he dld not see SO many Wis
ions, but watched the birds instead.
When the nest was ready, the little
builders tiuttcred around it. to see if it
was all right. They brought some
lichens from the real willow tree, and
put them outside the nest; that was to
represent paint. They brought the
finest mcadowdown, and the female
pluckcd some down from her own
breast; that was to represent furniture.
Peasants who feared the terrible
prayers of the hermit, used to bring
him bread and milk to appcase him.
Now they found him standing immov-
able with the birds nest in his hand;
and they said: See how the pious man
loEcs the little BIRDS They feared
him no longer, bat put the milk pail to
his mouth and placed the bread be-
tween his lips When he had finished
eating. he drove the people away with
evil words, as usual, but they only
smiled at his curscs now.
His body had long ago become sub
ect to his WILL Through fasting and
beating, knceiing for days and keeping
awake for weeks, he had taught it
obedience His iron muscles kept his
arms stretched for days and weeks,
and, when the female bird was sitting
on the eggs, and did not leave the nest,
Hatto did not even 90 to his den dur
ing the night. He learned to sleep
sitting with arms outstretchcd.
He got used to the little uneasy