New-York tribune., 1902-05-18
A BRITISH MELANGE.
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAGAZINES or
THE MONTH.
SPARROW HOUSEKEEPING.

Have v0u ever watched a pair OF sparrows
xhen first the house hunting and building mama
rones upon them? How stupendousIy busy
tbey are. especially the cock, and what ire
--e1@oUs lot he has 10 say As q matter OF fact,
Tjs rnissus does all the real work, and he sup
rIfes al the theory. " hlch she consistently DIS
Not nat Mrs. Sparrow works impetuously, as
though tine permitted Of no delberatlon- ON
the contrary she uses the greatest deHDeTaton
= -ba performance Of every action, however
trivial Watch her when she Is considering the
eligibility Of let Us say, a bit Of string which
~ has found in the garden path, as material
- lt used in the building of nest over which
ebe is busy. First she viii sit upon a gooseberry
tgig a yard OF two away, and inspect that
r1orsel Of string from The southeast.
Then she VIII fiji over 10 the apple tree close
hv and study II from the northwest Then she
vii .Nauiue Il from other points Of the COM
Tass At last she vi. hop up TO il and pun il
araLl. still uncertain as To its SuIta aUllty for
SOM purpose exactly defined in her foolish
little mind Al last she HlL decide 10 use l.,
and se-Zlng H. she VA. ay up 10 her nest with
The treasure but vaCilatng once again. she
drops II al the very threshold. and sits upon
the roof little while ewing IL and ChatIering.
4x-lal-Iug 10 her lord. perhaps. that il would
have done well enough # il had been longer or
shorter. or thicker or thinner or heaven knows
what Finally she VIII fit down and carry il
away 10 use. and behold, tomorrow she has
turned II out once more. and IL lies upon the
garden path a rejected thing. Not for long
however Tor either she herself or some other
bird has removed Il next time one looks for
the much considered scrap.
That c0nceited and seIf-aSSertive little per
son her lord and master Is far less deliberate in
his actions He Is more certain OF himself being
convinced that he knows every thing. and that 10
consider and weigh and deliberate Is a waste Of
time
be Is anxious 10 help with the nestmaking
and holds forth without CeasiuE while his lady
builds. Dc,asionally be lends q hand Ee catches
sight If a straw. il may be. or a small piece of
stick ana il occurs To him that here Is the
Ye-y -IlE- his foolish wife has sought for days
and failed 10 End- What does not occur To him
: th1- re Ls 2 garrulous old incompetent. and
knows -o more about TeSt building than he does
about the laying - eggs HIS wife knows all
about hin. hoHeye-. and The straw j. turned out
of The nest again as soon his back is turned
Ee has probably PLACED L in some impossible
position --l14--er eEllal lDI-E W hat marvellous
fellow be IS and "a nat treasure he has brought
up il The way - building eria.-t5erarteG
forgetting al about the matter in q moment or
two Even when Ire sees that straw lying upuu
TIE garden path. 50 coDCeited - he that h- does
not recognize IT, because E- cannot concentrate
The possibility Of its rejection 10y tho ruiSsus
he thinks he has found another treasure
-The-P' says he. dumping II down hv her
si1= IS she sits resting. perhaps laying little
eSS III -Ee completed nest there's another
splendid straw how Is II You don't come across
them lan ma them whenever l uker-
L-oCEU4-'s MaE4Zlre-