The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-17

tai food. We cannot Mt will stop think
ing, but we can give our thoughts a more
pleasing direction and that Is rest And
so, when | get tired and perplexed read
ing and Illuminating about the war and
the negroes and political corruption.
take a day off and commune with ma
ture and her wonderful works, which
are ever before us and around us. 1t Is
even q rest to hear it thunder and to
watch the gathering of the clouds and
welcome the big drops of rain that fan
upon the steps. When the lightning
is flashing and the thunder stroke comes
quick and sharp and near, we retire
from the veranda and for little Whlle
humble ourselves under the mighty
hand of God and that is rest. linen
let us not worry and perplex ourselves
all of our waking hours about things
which are afar off, but take shelter and
comfort at home. Let us change the
diet and it viii rest us mentally ana
physically. Ny good father was Il
philosopher and would say to me, now,
my son, l want you to hoe these pota-
toes and when YOU get tired you can
weed the onions for a rest" Professor
Mitchell, the great astronomer, told
men that when his mind was wearied
with long and perplexing calculations
and his eyes were tired of figures, moth
ing relieved him more than game
of whist with his wife and children. 1t
was a delightful rest.
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
II. Il fNl1 IN
cheek, and say that l am not old nor
ugly and every night / help their mother
put them to bed 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 1 did when l was a little boy. BY
and by the monotone of my voice be-
comes their lullaby and the little eyes
close and the little heads fall over on
my shoulder and they are off for the
land of dreams. When the father has
to go to his drug store every night an
old grandpa is a help to a tired mother,
and | am thankful that | am yet fit for
that.
/ saw a pair of old-fashioned blue
birds today and felt the friends of
my youth had come back. Some years
dSU iucy ulsdpptdEtu anu nave NOiI-
dered what became of them. jay
bird with only one leg comes every day
to the fountain to drink | am trying
to make friend of him, but he is very
shy and suspicious. Some cruel boy hit
him with sling shot, / reckon, for |
see them sometimes in the back ally try
ing to get shot at my pigeons. Maybe
that iaybird will meet that boy in pur-
orafa Rows aTn &c mo nj ELL
ing birds as our government is about
killing the Filipinos. But this is il
Christian country, and, / reckon, it is
all right. These pigeons that have
happy home at my house are an inter-
esting 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 a pure snow
white. and at all hours or the day they
gather at the little hydrant fountain 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
cJlrd 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, 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
toed, and so are some folks we know.
A pigeon-toed girl generally wears long
dresses. Then there is language called
pigeon English. lit is really pidgen Eng
Hsh, for pidgen is a Chinese word and
means business, and pidgen English is
mixture of Chinese and English and of
signs by which business is transacted in
the ports between natives and foreign
ers.
The migrating butterfly is moving
southwark. For two weeks past one or
more have been seen at all hours of
the day ON the wing passing through our
grove. My neighbors far and near tell
me they are passing their homes. 1t
is a good, large yellow butterfly Of uni
form size and shape and color. They
do not come in pairs or focks, but singly
and not often in sight of each other.
They all come and go in the same di-
rection and do not stop a moment nor
pause to suck the honey from a flower.
Well, now ! have counted them by the
clock as they passed and made five in
a minute through my five-acre grove.
That makes 300 in an hour or 5000 in
q day. If, then, we count 600 to an
acre in a day 100 acres would make co.
600. Ten thousand acres would make
100000 for a single day. How many
more acres do they pass over and how
many more days? Think of it and the
books say they are going South to win
ter and die. They laid their eggs up
North before they began their long jour-
ney. From observation ] should say they
average forty miles day. 1t is not a
rapid fight, but is unknown. What
singular creation is this and who can
tell why and the wherefore. Nature
is full Of mysteries and wonders.
My daily mail brings many inquiries
and some of them | cannot answer. A