The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-03-22
A Restaurant for DIrds.

- Jaws
II intend driving out to see Uncle
Otto to-day" said Mr.. Marcy, at the
breakfast table. "Who would like to
take a sleigh-ride with me?" and he
looked straight into Kitty's eyes. "oh,
| would like to, papa!" said Kitty,
quickly. May T?">
If mamma thinks best" MI. Marcy
answered, and as was willing,
Kitty was soon putting or warm
wraps and preparing for her ive-mile
drive. Uncle Otto lived upon the state
experimental farm, where he studied
the birds and insects, and then told the
farmers about them, and how to get
rid of those that destroyed the crops;
and a visit to him was always full of
interest to Kitty. Indeed, she thought
there never could be another uncle
quite SO nice as Uncle Otto. Kitty lived
in Minnesota, where they sometimes
have a great deal of snow in the win
unusual amount. The sleighing was
fine, and the country seemed so clean
and pretty that Kitty could not help
exclaiming as they sped along, for in
the city the snow was dirty, and here
everything vas white as snow ought
to be. The drifts were piled high on
either side of the somewhat narrow
road, and when they met a team, papa
had to turn out very carefully in order
to avoid upsetting the sleigh. But
Kitty thought it all great fun, and
helped lean over when necessary to
keep the sleigh balanced. Il wonder
what Uncle Otto will have to show me
this time" said Kitty, as they caught
the first sight of the large buildings
which told her that they were nearly
at the end of their ride. "He always
has something different from what
anybody else would have" she added,
land 1 learn something every time l
come out here" 81 wonder, too," an
! swered papa. And then he drove up
to the house and Uncle Otto himself
came out and helped Kitty to unwrap
the big fur robe which tucked her in
so comfortably, and pretty soon they
were all sitting beside the fire and
talking as if it had been a year instead
of two months since they had seen
each other. Immediately after lunch
Uncle Otto turned to Kitty and said, 81
am going out now to see to my birds
restaurant. Would you like to go with
me?" AS they started, Uncle Otto took
with him a large covered basket, and
he went toward the great grove of oak
trees which extended for miles back
of the house. Presently he stopped
beneath a tree from a branch of which
was hanging a loosely coiled wire.
Then he opened his basket and took
out something white and round like a
ball. What is that, Uncle Otto?" ask
ed Kitty. THAT is mutton suet," he
answered. Then he uncoiled the wire
placed the suet on the branch and
bound it securely with the wire,
Now" he added, turning to Kitty
lone table is spread for dinner" oh
said Kitty, suddenly, you do it for the
birds?" Eyes, indeed" Uncle Otto re,
turned. "You see there are lots of colo
weather birds who do not leave u:
through the long winter, and wheI
the snow gets very deep they have q
hard time to find enough to eat; ther
besides, when it is very cold indeed
as it has been lately, they need som,
kind of food which will produce hea
in their little bodies, and the mutton
suet does just that. So when l began
to think how deep the snow was an,
how long it had been cold, / thought
had better open a restaurant for tn
birds, or some of them might die, an
this is the way I did it" Kitty locke
interested, SO Uncle Otto went on. ="
fasten the suet in place with wire, be
cause if l tied it on with string tn
birds would peck at the string an
their dinner would drop to the groun
and probably be eaten by a dog or ca
l tie it high on the tree for the san
J reason, so that only the birds sha
have it." Uncle Otto had been tyil