The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-01
M Orchard .9dYL

On an apple tree branch sat Robin
Goodfellow, meditating This was I'M
usual, for Robin generally had a great
deal of business on hand of one kind
and another But this morning he had
made discovery, and the discovery in
turn had made him a little at variance
with his prospects. Only a little, how
ever, for it was not in his nature to
be very much dissatisfied, either with
himself or his surroundings.
AS rule he was not given to long
rambles, but this morning the bright
sunshine had tempted him further down
the valley than usual. He had paused
at a shallow pool and had nice bath
ali by himself. Then occasional patches
OF wintergreen and partridge berries,
and belts of sunshine, and reckoning
branches had lured him on and on until
at last all familiar landmarks had dis
appeared. And then suddenly he had
found himself in that delightful nook.
AT the remembrance his little body
fairly trembled with pleasure. In all
his travels he had never seen a spot
which so nearly approached his ideal
| OF home. There was a sturdy, many
Dranched wild apple tree, crowned with
thick mantle CT clinging grapevines,
and under it were partridge berries and
sweet, succulent plants, and on the hill
| side, few rods away, were bushes and
| vines which promised huckleberries and
blackberries for midsummer, and messy
limbs and decayiug branches which in
dicated an abundance of insects and
! larvae. And, best of ALL there was a
| bubbl1ngs spring and shallow pools where
one could battle as often he wished.
| Glowing with the ecstasy of his discov-
| cry, he had hurried toward the orchard to
impart the glorious news to Mrs. Robin
/ T1NnE N
| They could begin again; and they GER
tainly would never find another place
| so secluded and romantic. But on the
| way some misgivings crossed his mind,
and instead of going directly home he
| flew into the Baldwin tree to give the
matter more consideration.
Over on the other side of the orchard
he knew that Mrs. Robin was busy
| straw hunting and nest building, and
he felt that he ought to be there to
look after things. the was not in
the mood for it just now, and he be-
J gan to swing his body from side to
side, in order to give the slender branch
a swaying motion suited to his ruff1ed
feelings. Only yesterday he had been
/ perfectly contented with the old Green
| ing, and had felt that it's position as
| biggest tree in the orchard invested him
with dignity which was recognized by
the neighbors. But everything looked
different now, and he preened his feath-
| ers with impatient little dabs, and
! wished that Mrs. Robin was not quite
SO matter-of-fact and prosaic and-yes,
he admitted 1t to himself with a low
| ctkrD of reSignation-so commonplace
| If only she were romantic, like the blue
! birds, or poetical, like the vireos he
| would not be off here communing with
| himself He would have taken the news
| of his discovery straight to her. and
| by this time they would have been
deep in the delightful details of arrange
ment
path of sunshine slipped from his
back and crept along the branch, and
| finally dropped to the ground without his
being aware of it's presence. Then
! chickadee peered anxiousy down through
the leaves, but concluding from the 81
| lence that no one was there, flew blithely
| away in search of companion for some
frolic or adventure. A squirrel ran up
the tree and gazed at him inquiringly
as he sprang across the chasm between
| two branches.
But at length he was aroused by angry
voices in the distance. Birds were call
ing sharply to one another and among
them he recognized many of his friends.
Then came the frightened, expostulating
voice of catbird. Evidently the COM
motion was approaching, and he hoped
down to lower branch from which he
could get a better view.
Presently there came a swift rush