Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-08-06
Sparrnw IIouSckcepInC.

Have you ever watched pair OF
sparrows when first the house hunting
and building mania comes upon them?
How stupendouSly busy they are, es-
pecially the cock, and what tremen-
dous lot he has to say! AS matter
of fact, his missus does all the real
work. and he supplies all the theory,
which she consistently disregards.
Not that Mrs. Sparrow works i'm
petuously, as though time permitted Of
no dcliberation. On the contrary, she
uses the greatest deliberation in the
performance of every action, however
trivial. Watch her when she is COLI
sidering the eligibility of, let US say,
bit Of string which she has found in
the garden path, as material to be
used in the building OF nest over
which she is busy. First she will sit,
upon gooseberry twig yard or two
away, and inspect that morsel of string
from the southeast.
Then she will fit over the apple
tree close By and study it from the
northwest Then she will examine it
from other points Of the compass. At
last she will hop up to it and pull 1t
about--apparently accepting 1t, but re-
jecting it again. still uncertain as to
its suitability for some purpose exactly
defined in her foolish little mind. At
last she will decide to use it, and, seiz-
ing it. she will fly up to her nest with
the treasure; but, vacillating once
again, she drops it at the very :thres-
hold, and sits upon the roof little
while, eying it and chattering; explain
ing to her lord, perhaps, that 1t would
have done we'll enough if it had been
longer or shorter, or thicker Or thin
ner, or heaven knows what. Finally
she will fit down and carry it away
to use, and behold! tomorrow she has
turned it out once more. and it lies
upon the garden path rejected thing.
Not for long, however, for either her
self or some other bird has removed
1t next time one looks for the much
considered scrap.
That conceited and self-assertive lit
tie person, her lord and master, is far
less deliberate iii his actions. He Is
more certain of himself, being con-
vinced that he knows everything, and
that TO consider and weigh and delib-
crate is waste of time.
He is anxious to help with the nest
making, and holds forth without ceas-
ing while his lady builds. Occasionally
he lends hand. He catches sight of
a straw, it may be, or small piece of
stick, and it occurs to him that here is
the very thing his foolish wife has
sought for days and failed to find.
What does not occur to him Is that
he is garrulous old incompetent, and
knows no more about nestbuilding
than he does about the laying of eggs.
His wife knows all about him, how
ever, and the straw is turned out of the
nest again as SooI aS his back Is turn
ed. He has probably placed 1t in some
impossible position and-after explain
ing what q marvellous fellow he is,
and what treasure he has brought
up in the way of building material
departed, forgetting all about the mat
ter in moment or two. Even when
he sees that straw lying upon the gar
den path, so conceited Is he that he
does not recognize it, because he can
not contemplate the possibility Of its
rejection by the missus. There"
says he. dumping it down by her side
as she sits resting, perhaps laying
lie egg, in the semicompleted nest;
there's another splendid straw; how
is it you don't come across them?
can find them whenever like!"-
Longman's Magazine.