The age-herald., 1902-05-18

oroo mon T time a mother bird that nao nest full of young birdies, was in great distress The spring was far adVanceo' anu long ere this time she and her young proo1 ought to have been on thelr hortn" journey to the Great Lakes, that Weie ways the summer home of the oiros' i' pu. these baby birds had crept out oi .ne'. dainty blue eggs so late that sprlns h .na their little wings were not strong ehouen Cor tbo 1onp tourney. Every day the mother ronld teach her darlinGs to fly. seating them in a TOW on low limb. she "ohio GOV "Eb cheepee cheepee-Watch me watch mel and away she Wpuld so 'hioue. the air There were many conlca' eApo
 ences at first, for the llttle Wlnss WY sI awkward and weak, but patehl plae.iee hrouoht strength and skill at last. A uay was fixed upon for the sur, o,ia, ann tbrorgb fore the ruddy dawn had broken thl9uSn ,a tba qoIden bars of the eastern sky the Whoie family were on the wing. .,,..,
 when night came 1t was very urea nt'ie comnany that sought shelter on the hino oi n friendly beech tree. That nlen' n uieau ful storm came up, and the w1hd pie" anu the rain came down in torrents. III 'ho morning the poor drenched paples "s'e e stiff and unhappy that they heartily wismeu thor,selves in their snug Southern nest. he unottor much against her will, decided 10 ston for short rest. Alas, the boys, on their way to school, saw the forlorh ntlie family in the tree. That evening 'pe mamma heard Robert saysto ms cohlp ,.,as
 "In that tree are some or the cu,es. n'.,e birds you ever saw. Let us eoiio o"eA
 night and get them . or,once .--;.i, hove hefore. so she watched the boys ,',aII ont of sight, and then, calling her brood about her, she said: II know you are sick and weary but we must ny TOT our rves We have four hours or daylight and in that time if you are only brave, we can reach the retreat where we should nave rested last night.
 In few minutes every birdy was on tne wing. forgetting all about his weariness Tn bis anxiety to get away from kobert ana his companions. By night they were Tar away from the old beech tree.
 They flew away with rested wings and +bankful hearts, just as the sun was peep ,no from behind the trees in the East. The roxt few days of flight were passed without danger or fatigue, and soon the cage or tho northern forest was reached. The whole family went at once to the mammoth tree where the mother always took her hrood for their first day, and she found to her ioy that 1t was not occupied. The vopng birds were in high glee, chirping and anttering about in great delight. They found many pleasant companions, and only ora more experience marred the trip. great owl alighted on their tree in his search for an evening meal. Espying the tender, young birds, his great yellow eyes sleamed with mirth, for he thought that there was
 a., z,onar all snread for him.
 Old MT. Owl was in perfect trim for the feast that he was sure he was going to have; but he did not know of the narrow escape those same birdies had had and he did not suspect what keen eyes the mother had. nor how much wisdom her brood had gained by their experience with bad boys. When the great gray bird was pretending to be half asleep and not thinking about anything so wicked as eating little birdies the mother kept her quick eye upon him, and just as he was getting ready to swoop down upon her