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

talnklng, but wt can eiic our thoughts
more pleasing direction and that Is
fest. And 80. whcn get tired and
crplcxcl reading and ruminating
about the war and the negroes and po-
li.ical corruption, | take day off and
Commune with nature and her wonder
al works, which are ever before US
and around us. 1t 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
hc steps. When the lightning is
f.ashing and the thunder stroke comes
ruick and sharp and near, We retire
from the ycranda and for little while
humble ourselves under the mighty
hand Of God, and that is rest. Then
let US not worry and pcrplcX ourselves
Al Of our waking hours about things
which arc afar Off, but take shelter
and comfort at home let US change
the diet and it will rest us mentally
a1d physically. Ny good father was
a philosopher and would say to me,
now. my son, 1 want you to hoe
these potatoes and when you get tired
You can weed the onions for rest
Irofcsscr Mitchell, the great astrono-
Incr, told men that when his mind was
wearied with long and perplcxing cal
culations and his eyes were tired Of
figures, nothing relieved him more
han game of whist with his wife
and children. 1t was delightful
r.St
Butmy sweetest rest is frolic with
Tic little grandchildren and listening
- their innocent discourse. There
;.c two little girls Of three and five
years, who visit mo almost every day
and climb my knees and kiss my old
rough cheek, and say that I AIN not
old nor ugly and every night help
their mother put them t.obcd and tell
them the same old stories about Jack
the giant killer, and tho bean vine and
the wolf and the pigs and little Red
Riding Hood, and what I did when I
was little boy. by and by the mon
otone Of my voice becomes their lul-
laby and tho little eyes close aud the
little heads fall over on my shoulder
and they arc off 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 At FOR that.
1 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
iaybird with only one log comes every
aey 70 che fountain TO drink. I am
trying to made friend OF him. but he
is very shy and suspicious. Some
cruel boy hit him with q sling shot, l
reckon, for / sec 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. reckon, it is all right.
These pigeons that have happy home
atmy house arc al 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
vcranda. They arc Of many colors,
from almost black to a pure snow
white, and at all hours OF" the day
thcy gather at tho litslc 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, us 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 curd
and eject 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, thoy do most Of the feeding.
They are not gallinaccous nor razorcs.
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 20