The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-03
Children's Column.
LITTLE WILD NE1GHBoRs.

walden Pond, and camp down among
the birds and animals, with a heart
as innocent of harm, as simple and
loving as their own, and quickly the
little creatures of the forest will
adopt him into their common family,
1t seems unnecessary even that he
should attract their attention or pro-
woke their gratitude by making them
offerings of food. If his hearth is full
of friendliness and companionship,
they find it out very soon, and come
to live beside him for pure sympa-
thy's take. If he chooses to feed
them they will accept the gift CRATE
fully, as would any friend but their
affection is not purchased. They
give it freely, and would continue to
give, if their new friend and cOmpan-
ion had never a crumb to fling them.
My observation teaches me that
birds, especially, are perpetually hun
gering for and seeking the love and
companionship of man. Even in spite
of the general destructiveness Of man-
kind, how the little tribes of the air
flock to settled parts of the country
and hover about human dwellings,,
deserving the safe depths of swamps
and remote forests, tOnest in the or
chard, the grove and the ''deep tan
gled wildwood" that borders the edge
of the farm. And all this out of pure
longing for human cOmpanionship.
I cannot help thinking sometimes,
when 1 hear a full-throated bird sing
ing as if his heart would burst, in
the grove back of my house, that he
is really thanking me and mine for
the cheaply-accorded privilege of liv-
ing near US and being thrilled by the
sweet sense of human companion
ship. He is so thankful we do not
kill him and put him in a pie, and
mount his skin upon our hats, that
he pours out freely for US, all day
long, a song that is sweeter and more
soulful than many we have purchased.
the privilege of listening to.
Last fall there was a sparrow that
came two or three times a day and
perched on the sill of the open pan
try window, just to be chirped to by
my wife. He was not physically hun
CRY, for he seldom touched the
crumbs we threw hint was his
little heart that was hungry, I think.
He would always come at such times
as my wife was accustomed to be in
the pantry, and, lighting on the sill,
would give a little, shrill, interrOga-
tory chirp, as much as to say:
Good morning. How II you to-
day?' Then my wife would chirp
back to him, and he would f1utter
his little wings with delight, hopping
back and forth and answering her
talk with language as full of graft
tude and affection as any ever heard.
1t wa a conversation we'll worth lis
tening to, and often the whole house
hold has stood, a pleased and smiling
audience, just outside the pantry
door.
1t is said that a dog is a better in
tuitive judge of character than any
human being, but am sure that the
little wild creatures of the woods and
fields are equally good intuitive
Judges of disposition. There are
some persons who constantly attract
birds and animals to themselves by
what we might literally call the mag
netism of love.
A friend of mine, while tramping
along a mountain road last summer,
sat down to rest on a log by the way
side. Presently, a bright-eyed squir-
rel came ''hitching" down the trunk
of a spruce near by, stopping to bark
questioningly every few feet. My
friend simply sat still and watched
the little fellow. Growing holder,
or rather, as I explain it, more as
sured of the disposition of the man
on the log. the squirrel suddenly
made a dash from the tree, scurried
up on my friends shoulder, bounded
to the earth again andran off, 'laugh-
ing" my friend says, "as distinctly
and merrily as I ever heard any hu-
man being laugh" In two or three
minutes he was back again, frisking
about my friends feet, and ended up
by perching on the toe of his boot
and chatting amiably at him.
Here was an instance of unerring
perception of disposition on the part
of one Of the shrest of wood crea-