The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28
FATHER CHRIyTJM. ~.

- ~ a Z AA~AN SAA AAAiiA 4 go - 49,
BY w. Il Stead I. sassg@ %
CHAPTER I. $500
T bright and beautiful morning May. The
larks looking like tiny brown specks in the blue
sky, singing merrily; were gay with flow
Of the hawthorn TWO pretty little ehildren We're walk
ing slowly along country lane. They full of de-
they had visited day for past Trotter
their father had robin flying into hole in the
wall which stood some little way their house Mr.
Troter lived in the country in od-fashioned house
in the middle of a large garden. in which Pearl and
Jack used to play when they were not doing their les
Mr. Trotter had the robin several times be-
fore he able to find the place where it had made
its nest But one day when he was cutting little bit
branch one side, and there, in hole in the wall,
he saw the bright eyes of the mother robin looking
out at him as she was sitting on the nest Another mo-
ment and the bird few out frightened by finding
Mr.. Trotter looked into place where
had been sitting, and there nest with four
little eggs. He noted the place, and went home.
Pearl he said to his little girl, she climbed
upon his dinner, Il something
you tomorrow only you must promise
you will be very good and very quiet. But where's
Jack?'
running the room.
Whats the matter, father p, he said
II have got something to show you and Pearl to-
morrow" said their father; but you must be very
quiet. 1t is birds nest"
"oh do tell us where it u.s. father!' said the chill
ITS in hole in the wall" said their father eat
the far end Of Hawthorn Lane, but it's so well hidden
that don't think any boys would be able find it, and
# you are very careful you may go and zee every day
will all change into little birds"
.Nfayn't we take them ?" said Jack.
Certainly not. - said his father How would you
like to have great giant come into house and
and Pearl away from father and mother
and snnt you wou up IN s = said
thought Of It Ike that Other boys taRe nests"
"only bad boys" said his father 1.-The father and
that they take their little ones"
nd of bird is said Tack
"a robin redbreast," said his father, with such
bright brown and if you quietly every day and
never touch the eggs or the nest, they will be quite
tame, and know thatyou are friends" =
Pearl and Jack had never before birds nest,
excepting the big nests of the at the
high elms that stood near the house and they could
hardly wait until next day, when their father was
ready to take them to see the robins nest
When they were there, they found it was just
their father had said The mother bird sitting
warm. Each of them peeped into the hole and then
walked away quite quietly holding their fathers hand
cred up the Babes in the Wood with leaves?" Pearl
time ago. But these robins great-great-I don't
know how many greagrandchidren Of the robins that
covered the Babes in the Wood. But you remem-
Der the Story of the Robins 81
snid 9. hew
be another Robin Family? Oh how nice! And may we
come every day to see them. father"
Yes, said he "but you must never touch the
eggs, and you must never the nest If you
anybody else in the lane.'
Matched; and when Pearl had looked
the wall, instead Of the round little eggs there
four little yellow beaks which gaped wide open she
peeped in and gave her quite start 49,
'Oh, Jack she said something has nappened!"< IS
Perhaps they hatched,'' Jack. And then
when he pulled her away and looked in himsef-"Yes,"
he said, there they four of them. Oh what fun!
never little birds before. ever they
of the little eggs,
Come away" said Pearl, cor the mother bird
will not be able to come back and keep them warm,
AS they walked home they talked nothing
but the little robins. They meant to give
them separate name, and Pearl agreed that
they would each have two their very own.
of course said Pearl, them,
5 but we will call them Do you think shall
know the difference ?' ..*s
7 don't know said Jack "Just now they're ex-
acty like each other, and they have feathers
.oh,' said Pearl, m sure L shall know mine and
perhaps when Christmas comes they to our
window cr,1m bs q I.