Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-09-14

up to the Heron Wood The mother bird
though alarmed by my approach, did not
! leave her place, and, as L was unwilling
to disturb her, I could not find whether
she was guarding eggs or young. On the
way to my garden | had to pass Father
| Williams, and found my venerable neigh
Dor planting out lettuces.
r stop minute, won't ye,' he said,
an say Summat to pore ole MANI?
80 L told him about the lark nest.
An O course, ye broke ut, or | 'oDe
50. an very rightly" he remarked
Il m surprised on We for lettin' they buds
make their nestses all over y'r porch; but
there, now, gle me tn word an I'll
knock ,em all down for ye, tn varmints.
Lord, l were goin' to tell we last week |
asst y'r boy Jack to pull down all they
gret, nasty nestses, an e said ye liked
EN-, an wouldn't do as [ told i'm, tn
young muck"
And what did you say to that, Father
William?" l asked, having previously
heard the lads version.
Told tn fool not to come maxim a
Joke o me- replied the veteran, testify.
Told i'm I were a better man nor is
grandfather, an it's tn fact, an all May
chester knows ut. 'Tain't nothin' to do
WI me what tends y'r garden, an / don't
interfere WI me neighbors, but many'S
til, time I've seed is father drunk as the
nddler at fair, an is uncle drownded
lsself when e was in liquor. An no
ipody shan't gle me back answers, f'r |
knows me dooty, an does it. an I'm the
Oldest man in tn parish, an We can't
DENY it,
But, Father William" I said. 81 had
told the lad that he wasn't to move one
OF the nests. He was only telling you
the truth"
Lord, now, did We, indeed?" said
/ L ~, hoc hp
| That's COS We don't know better to my
thinkin'. I'll tell We bit about they
buds, an veil asst me to take down all
they ole nests. An I'll do ut for We. for
L likes to 'blige me neighbors, an well We
ought to know ut, for I've been right
for ard man, by ye, an all what's been
TO see ye. An rum 'uns some on 'em
were. he added more to himself than to
me, AN they didn't seem to take no no.
ticn of a pore ole man.
We left his garden for the road. stop
ping at point where one could see his
home on one side and the great rose that
Climbs all over my porch on the other
\ fine summers day seemed to have
given the hero of many years an un-
wonted supply OF wind.
Look at me thatcii,'; said Father VIII
liam, suddenly stretching his stick in the
direction of the cottage roof do We
mark ut, an see all they greet oles :?
Stariin's tn varmints made every one
on EN-. Year after year they come. time
L Were on tn mush tendin' my ship,
an tore, an tore, an tore Spilled
tn roof fore I knew what they
was at tn plegs, an nestled where
L couldn't reach 'em VERY often. An
when l did kill few o they. bless me.
II tn sparrers didn't come an do tn
same: An two greet ole jackdaws came
buildin, in tn chimney. an it smoked
| WjlnnprfIIl n11ito
an no mistake, all along O. they buds.
Come you long ere" continued Faith
er William, shifting his position to the
gardens corner. See ye they cur
rants!''
| confessed that I saw them distinctly.
En- best in tn parish, an | don't tell
We no lie, though | bred 'em meself,'' re-
marked the veteran, slowly. There's
many what fancies their own, an I've
told EN- not to let me ear 'em say ut or
Ia tell 'em tn truth, if they was tn
squire isself On'y last summer man
come down tn road wi a bicycle like
yours, on'y better, for it 'ad a steam
engine IN ut, an e didn't ave to do no
Wark, an e asst me to sell i'm some. an
eat all e could, an gi'ed me a shilin'
IT bout pound, tn fool, an said e
never admit tasted finer An that's the
truth. Well, if it weren't FIR me nets
an me traps, they greet ole blackbuds d
neck every currant off they bushes An
m not clear about they mavisses
neither. l amt seed 'em eatin', but /
doubt they do, an catches 'em when
can"
Don't you like to hear the birds sing,
No.. l don't, an I'm tellin' We tn
truth replied the oldest jnhabitant.
:. Fore it's light an time to get up
they're at it, breakin' me nights rest an
quarrelln over their whites. Lor' all
buds IS as quarrelsome as dogs or wom-
en-, an that's fact. An I'm right sick
they Iarks, what never stops singin'."
lie paused for a moment, and across
the field or The outskirts o. the wood
cuckoo called
Aye" said Father William, wrath
fully shaking his stick in that direction:
nigh ye, an well ye nl3;9 TT e. I'm
! pore ole nan an don't get about as
| uset. II came asettin' me young on
other folks dcorsteps "a keep me mouth
shet about ut: Not as 'ow l ever did,
bcin' law bidin' man. an tn RectorII
tell ye that's tn TRUTH
II you have your own way. would YOU
have any birds n the country?'' | asked
HIM
Pa 'tridges-" admitted Father William
I'd ave pa ridges, f'r me betters shoots
EN-, an | knows me dooty an allus did
land, an fish, an 1 couldn't never abide
fish. An tn 'erons what catches cells,
for | can't abide they. An chickens an
ducks. if ye calls 'em buds. an that's
all. But, there, it'd be better f'r tn
land If there weren't none O. they buds,
an there amt farmer won't tell
we I'm right. Rocks an corbie-
crows an starlin's an blackbuds
ha' done might O. mischief. an
ye can't deny ut. Now, if We tell that
boy O. yourn to get tn ladder, III take
NE stick an knock down all they old
nestses o yourn, sparrers' and swallers'
an the blackbuds' out O. tn edge, an
tn robins, an all of 'em, and yen live
to say. Thank We. Father William.
yeve done y'r dooty''
Il think We'll wait another year. l
aid, kindly but firmly; its a bit too
late now"
The aged man leaned upon his stick
md eyed me severely. Il can't teach We
nothin, an that's a fact" he said, bit
-erly. There folk none can't serve, an
yere one CT 'em. If they buds spiles tn