The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-07-17
Sparrow housekeeping.

Have you ever watched pair OF
sparrows when first the house hunting
and building mania comes upon them?
How stupendcusly 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 de]iberation. On the contrary, she
uses the greatest deliberation in the
performance of every action, however
trivial. Watch her when she is con-
sidering the eligibility of, let us say,
a 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 a 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 1t
from other points of the compass At
last she will hop up to it and pull 1t
about-apparently accepting it, but re-
jecting it again, still uncertain as to
it's 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 it would
have done we'll enough if 1t 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
il next time one looks for the much
considered scrap.
That conccited and self-assertlve lit
tie person, her lord and master, is 1ar
less deliberate in his actions. He IS
more certain of himself, being con-
vinceG that he knows everything, and
that 10 consider and weigh and delib-
crate is a 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 a hand. He catches sight OF
a straw, it may be, or a 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 hno.
What does not occur to him is that
he is a garrulous old incompetent, and
knows no more about nestbulldlng
than he docs about the laying OF eggs.
His wife knows all about him, now
ever and the straw is turned out OF the
nest again as soon as his back is turh-
cd. He has probably placed 1t in some
impossible position and-after explain
ine: what a marvellous fellow ne is,
and what a treasure he has brought
I'D in the way of building material
deDarted. forgetting all about the mat
fer in a moment or two. Even when
he sees that straw lying upon the gar
den path, so conceited is he that ne
does not recognize it, because he can
not contemplate the possibility OF lts
rejection by the missus. Ihere,
SAYS he. dumping it down by her side
as she sits resting, perhaps laying
le egg, in the semi-completed nest;
there's another splendid straw; now
is it YOU don't come across them? l
can find them whenever l like!
Longman's Magazine