The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-11-11
STORY OF MY RED BIRD.
1t Should be kead to Every Child
in Home and School.

in Home and School.
The following, which was written
by Mrs. Virginia D. Young, the ac-
complished editor Of the Fairfax En-
terpriSe, should be read by every child
in the county Read it to your chill
dren, mothers. Read it to your
pupils, teachers. The reading Of it
will do you all good:
STORY OF ny RED BIRD.
When l say my Red Bird, chill
dren, | do not speak OF bird IN a
cage. Ne indeed! l wouldn't cage
wild bird for ANYTHING. l call him
my bird" because l love him SO.
Nothing is ours that we do not love.
Love changes outside things into
partnership with ones own self.
Well my partnership with this red
bird, whose real name is the Cardinal
Gross beak. dates from last February.
1t was then he flashed into my big
cedar trees with his feather coat Of
the lovelieSt red. He inspired me to
write some verses about him, in which
| compared his color to the red tulips
that were then blooming in my flower
garden. The red bird ever since then
has lived on the two acres OF my lot.
He first had bis seat in the cedar
trees, whose berries and small insects
he found to his taste, then be lnhao-
tied the thickeSt Of the mock oranges,
aud at that time he was Going his
courtiug, and SO sought shady Sc
Guided hooks where the leaves were
SO thick it was hard for me to peep
at him. You see | love my red bird
so much that when l hear his pecu-
liar note drop my sewing, writing
or work OF whatever sort and run to
look at him and say good word to
him. Along in the summer he had
the most beautiful song. There was
a preliminary which called the
Clash Of Cymbals, and after that
loud sweet whirring note came the
song, which compared we'll with the
mocking birds in beauty.
When the LeConte pears were ripe
he called at the tree every day, but
he varied his bill OF fare with my fine
tomatoes, where I'D see him every
day and Sunday too, lighted down on
the bushes with his mate. and eating
heartily. l gave him and sher free
leave to eat what they wanted for the
good rent they paid in the pleasure 1t
gave NE to look at them.
In August, when the sunt1oWer
seeds we're ripe, hanging down great
heads, he showed himself an acrobat
in getting them, balancing on one
foot and sometimes turning head
over heels to reach them. Meantime
he and his mate had made such
changes in their toilets that | had to
follow them round awhile to be GER
tain of their identity. His splendid
crimson coat had become dull and
threadbare; as for tail be had but one
ragged feather left. His great or
gross. beak was the same however,
and his splendid crest in the shape OF
a Cardinals mitre, which gives him
his name, was the same. AS for his
mate, she was dull reddish brown
and shaggy too. l don't think she
sings, but like her mate she springs
her rattle as the flies.
This is the last of September and l
believe the molting or new feather
ing season is over with these beauty
birds. | see their crimson coats 1n
the grape vine where they help them
selves to the scuppernongs. l wish
the vines might bear all winter tor
the sake OF the birds.
hope you will all remember, dear
children, that the laws OF South
Carolina now protect our birds. So
that any person catching birds IN
trap or killing them in any way, is
liable to pay fine. / have in two
Instances this year induced colored
people who had caughEmocking bicds
TO set them free. Let us love and
care for the birds which help to Ill
our world with song and beauty.