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

over the nest lie watched tie hail
and rain, and protected the nest the
best way he could.
At last the female is relieved of her
watch The two birds sit on the edge
of the nest, wagging their tails up and
down, consulting each other, and look
ing happy, yet the whole nest is moth
I ing but one mass Of anXiously-crying
birds. After little while they hurry
off on wild chase after mosquitoes.
Mosquito after mosquito is brought to
this thing crying in his hand, and,
when the food comes, the crying is
worse than ever. The pious man is
disturbed in his prayers by this crying,
and slowly, slowly his arm sinks. His
joints have almost lost their power Of
motion, and his small fiery eyes stare
into the nest.
He had never seen anything so help
lessly ugly and miserable; small, naked
bodies with a little stray down, no
eyes, no power to fly, actually nothing
but six big gaping mouths.
1t seemed strange to him, but he
liked them just as they were; and,
when he called to God. asking for the
SALVATION ul' the id through destrnc-
ton, lie made silent exception for
these six helpless ones.
When the peasant women brought
him food. he did not return thanks by
wishing them destruction. SO long as
these little cnes depended Oh him, he
was glad they did not let him starve
to death.
After little, six round heads were
stretched all day over the edge of the
nest. Old Hatto's arm sank oitcner
down, where he could sec into the nest,
and he saw the feathers sticking out
from the red skin, the eyes opening,
the bodies rounding.
Meanwhile the prayers for the great
destruction of the world came more
hesitatingly from Hatto's lips. He
thought that he had Gods promise
that it should come when the birdlings
were ready to fly. Now he stood there
as if wanting an excuse before God.
For these six little ones, whom he had
cared for,-he could not think of sacri-
ticing them! 1t was different before,
when he did not have anything of his
own! Love for the helpless-that
which every little child has to teach to
big dangerous people-came over him
and caused him to hesitate Some
times he felt like throwing the whole
nest into the river, for he said to him.
self that it was good for them to die
and escape sorrow and sin. But, when
the hawk. came to destroy the young,
Hatto took the bold intruder with his
left hand, and flung him with all his
might into the river
One day the little ones were ready
to fly, and one of the parents worked
iii the nest, trying to push them over
the edge. while the other one flew
around, showing them how easy it was,
if they only dared to try. And, when
the nestlings persisted in being afraid,
the older ones flew around, showing
their finest art of flying. But the
young ones still persisted in b, lug !
afraid, and Hatto, the hermit, can no
longer help interfering. He gives
them a gentle push with the finger,
and that settles the matter. They fly
out, futtering and unsure, whipping
the air like bats, sink but come up
again, learn wherein the art lies, and
use it to reach the nest as quickly as
possible. The parents come down,
proud and jubilant, and old Hatto
smiles! 1t was he who had settled the
matter after all.
He thought now, in earnest, whether
there might not be some way out of it
for the Lord. Perhaps, after all, God
holds this earth like big nest, in the
hollow of his hand, and perhaps He
had love for all who lived and dwelt |
there. Perhaps He pitticd those He
had promised to destroy, as the hermit
pittied the birdiings. OF course the
hermit's birds were much better than
Gods children; yet he could under
stand how God might feel for them.
The next day the BIRDS nest was
empty, and the bitterness OF loneliness
came over the hermit. Now his arm
sank slowly down by his side, and it
seemed to him as if all nature held its
breath to hear the blast of the trumpcts
of the Judgment day. But just then
the wagtails came back and sat down
on his head and shoulders, for they
were not bit afraid Of him.
\ ray of light passed through old
Hattos confused brain. Had he not
lowered bis arm, lowered it every day
to look at the birds And, standing
there with all the six birdlings tlutter-
ing and playing around him, he nodded
his head to some one he did not see
Never mind,' he said, never mind,
| have not kept my word, SO Thou
dost not need to keep Thine!'
And it seemed to him rs if the noun
tains ceased to tremble, and as if the
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