Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-22
THE ROBINS RED BREAST.
Cross, and Was Blessed, While the
Jeering Magpie Was Cursed.


Jeering MaEpie Was Cursed.
The part that dumb nature took in
the crucifiXion is interesting from the
legendary side.
1t is said that the crown of thorns
was woven from branches of the haw-
thorn. When Jesus had been nailed to
the cross the thorns were pressed into
His brow, and the blood flowed freely.
At this the branches of the hawthorn
wept at the cruelty forced upon them
by the eXecutioners, and Jesus, noting
their tears, Changed the drops of His
blood into flowers. The hawthorn had
never blossomed before that day.
Birds, too, played part at the cru
cifiNion, according to legend. After
Jesus had been nailed to the cross, two
birds came and alighted on the extend
ed arms of the instrument of death.
One was magpie with beautiful
aigrette on it's head and long, waving
tail, then the handsomest of birds, but
the wickedest, chirping insults at the
suffering Jesus.
The other bird was a modest little
bird with gray plumage, which APP
preached the cross timidly, uttering
cries of grief. With it's beak it tried to
pluck away one of the thorns. A single
drop of the blood fell on the breast of
the plying little gray bird, and gave
the world the robin red breast. And to
it Jesus said:
blessed be thou, little bird, which
sharest my sorrows. May joy accom-
pany thee everywhere. Thine eggs
shall be blue as the sky above; thor
shall be the bird of God, bearer Of
good tidings.'
CAS- to thee" He said to the magpie,
chou shalt be an accursed bird. Thou
shalt lose that brilliant aigrette and the
beautiful colors on which thou pridest
myself so highly. Funeral bird, thy
message shall be only evil, and the rain
from heaven shall always fall into thy
nest"
The peasants of France, in accord
ance.w with this tradition, pierce the head
of magpie with thorn whenever they
catch one.
In Spain the swallow is considered the
good bird, and they say there that whel,
the Roman soldiers pressed the crown
of thorns on Jesus brow the swallows
came and tried to remove the thorns
with their beaks.
The Russians say that the swallows
took away the nails which the execu-
TONERS had brought, but the sparrows
carried them back again.
The Danish say that at the moment of
the crucifxion the stork, moved with
pity, cried: ''Strykhain! Strykhain!"
Good, give Him strength!'') and since
that time the stork has been considered
sacred.-Boston Globe.
A Query for Him.
He had discoursed learnedly, if some
what YEARLY, to his friend on the in
fuence of food upon character.
Tell me-" said he, in summing up,
tell me what a man eats and will tell
you what he isl
His friend, though fatigued, was evi-
IDENTIFY interested.
There is only one question wish to
ask you," he said.
ASK it, replied the discourser, mag
unanimously, with an air that said, very
clearly: "Give me hard one while you
are at it and I'll show you how smart l
am
''It is this" replied the fatigued
friend: ''How much sage tea would
you have to drink to make wise man
of yoursef?"
No answer being promptly forth
coming the conference broke up.-N. Y
World.
A Hard Man to Get At.
The manager is hard man to see.
Shut in his private Office and with a