The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
ENGLISH SPARROW AT HOME.
The Bird Is ms Unpopular I'm London
i'm This Country.

II. B. Marriott Watson. in London Mail
Outside my window stand two tall deo-
dars, m which the sparrows bicker and
chatter all the year long. There is no time
which never ceases TO proclaim its adven-
lures. its opinions and its woes from sun
rise to sunset. The sparrow is indecently
familiar. as you might expect, not only in
It's overtures 10 man and its contempt OF
him. but also in its personal revelations
Heaven only knows what a colony OF
sparrows will not disclose in the course OF
days chatter. The morning is naturally
taken up with domestic grievances, and the
afternoon with hostile arguments with
neighbors. The evening is dedicated TO
quarrels with offspring. or noisy discus
sions of the work of the district council.
The sparrow holds a family gathering at
dawn, at which everything under heaven
given upon earth is discussed freely. vitu-
peratively and at length; at noon, after
feigning sleep for half an hour he engages
in warlike operations with strangers. and
II necessary calls military council for the
purpose. AT night, before retiring TO his
distinctly unvirtuous couch, he holds a eau
GUS Then, thank heaven, after Intellectual
attempts to continue the meeting till next
morning, at last he falls asleep against his
will. That is the only space in which the
unhappy Londoner is free.
i say Londoner because the sparrow Is a
town bird and nothing else. He cannot
thrive out of town. A shabby, plain, bold,
vulgarian cockney, when he is in the coun-
try he takes on the air of timidity, even OF
apology, for his existence. He is quite out
of keeping there, among trees not black
ened by fog and soured by smoke, among
hedgerows which flowers will bloom,
and among open spaces which probably
strike into him that pour des espaces' OF
which doctors tell us. Seen a wild
heath some miles from his London haunt.
the sparrow is a thing ashamed, as a street
Arab frightened of the smells and colors
and distances He avoids notice: he retires
before the approach of other birds
have seen a small party which In Lon
don would have stared a flock OF rocks out
of countenance withdraw in confusion be-
fore a twittering flight of linnets. The
sparrow is on sufferance only an the coun-
try, and he knows il. He hates those te-
dious businesses, those unkempt wilder
nesses, over which such broad rustics as
the greenfinch and the yellowhammer de-
light to fly and make music. In the coun-
a tit in London, and has the air OF express
ing diffidence which takes your heart.
Surely" you would say, this Is q much
moderated and abused bird. His heart is
sober and honest his coat. Here are
no airs, no gay plumage, no dainty, faunt-
ing ways. This is a respectable, hard
working bird!''
Unhappily, those who have been misled
by their good-natured instincts (Which do
them credit, and have FASTENED to intro
duce the sparrow into their countries, have
long since repented In sackcloth. IL they
were only known they would probably be
amply rewarded by their fellow-country-
men In those places But their names have,
fortunately for them, persisted. II 10 some
consolation to on this side Of the At
lantic TO reflect that II there Is an Amer
lean invasion OF England there is also an
English invasion OF America, the invasion
of the English sparrow. One wonders how
America likes IT. We need not mind few
millionaires In exchange. for We may be
quite sure that the balance is still on our
side.