The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-23
MRS. BEN WAITS PARROT.


I wrote in my newspaper that Mrs,
Ben Wah was sick and needed parrot,
a green one with red tuft, and that
she must have it right away. / told of
her lonely life, and of how, on a Christ
mas eve, years ago, l had first met her
at the door of the Charity Organization
society, laboring up the stairs with a
big bundle done up in blue cheese
cloth, which she left in the office with
the message that it was for those who
We're poorer than she. They were open
Ing 1t when I came in. 1t contained
lot of little garments of blanket stuff,
as they used to make them for the pa
poses among her people in the far
North. 1t was the very next day that
l found her in her attic, penniless and
without even the comfort of her pipe.
Like the widow of old, she had cast her
mite into the treasury, even all she
had.
All this I told in my paper, and how
lshe whose whole life had been kindness
| to Others was now in need-in need of
a companion to share her lonely life, of
something with voice, which would
not come in and so away again, and
leave her. And begged that any one
who had a green parrot with a red tuft
would send it in at once
New York is a good town to live in.
1t has a heart. 1t no sooner knew that
Mrs. Ben Wah wanted parrot than 1t
hustled about to supply one at once.
The morning mail brought stacks of
letters with offers of money to buy a
parrot. They came from lawyers, bust
ness men, and bank presidents, men
who pore over dry ledgers and drive
sharp bargains on Change, and are
never supposed to give a thought to
lonely widows pining away in poor at
tics While they were being sorted
came the parrot itself, big and green
in a stunning cage 1t was an amia-
BILE bird, despite it's splendid get-up, and |
cooked its crimson head to one side to |
have 1t scratched through the bars, |
and held UP one claw, as If to shake |
hands.
How to get it to Mrs. Ben Wah's |
without the shock killing her was the |
problem that next presented itself.
Mrs. McCutcheon solved 1t by doing the
cage up carefully in newspapers and |
taking 1t along herself All the way
down the bird passed muf1led comments
on the Metropolitan Railway service
and on its captivity, to the considera-
bic embarrassment of its keeper; but
they reached the Beach street tenement
and Mrs. Ben Wah's attic at last. There
Mrs. McCutcheon slowed it carefully
away in a corner, while she busted her.
self about her aged friend.
She was working slowly down through
an address which she had designed to
break the thing gently and by degrees,
when the parrot, extending a feeler on
It's own hook, said "K-r-r-a-a!' behind
It's paper screen. Mrs. Ben Wah sat
up straight and looked fixedly at the
corner. Seeing the big bundle there,
she went over and peered into it. She
caught quick breath and stared, wide
eyed.
where did you get that bird?" she
demanded of Mrs. McCutcheon family
ooh, that is Mr. Riis' bird" said that
ady, sparring for time; "a friend gave
t to him.
where you take him?" Mrs. Ben
Nah gasped, her hand pressed against
Ter feeble old heart.
Her friend saw, and gave right up.
II am not going to take it any,
where" she said 81 brought it for
'ou. This is to be its home, and you
re to be it's mother, grandma and it's
riend. You are to be always together
rom now on-always, and have good
ime." With that she tore the paper
rom the cage.
The parrot, after ALL made the speech
f the occasion. He considered the gar
ct; the potato field on the fire escape,
through which the sunlight came in, 4
laking a cheerful streak on the floor;
1rs. Ben Wah and her turban; and his
lite carrier: then he climbed upon his l
tick. turned a somersault. and said, A
Here we are" or words to that effect d
hereupon he held his head over to be 4
by Mrs. Ben Wah in token
f a compact of friendship then and
lere made
JOY, after all, does not kill Mrs. Ben
Yah wept long and silently big, happy
,ars of gratitude. Then she wiped i
lem away, and went about her house
old cares as of old. The prescription i
ad worked. The next day the mo
ce' vanished from the wall of the
,om, where there were now two voices
II one.
1 came back from Europe to find my
d friend with lighter step and a