Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07

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| Have you ever noticed how lightly our
! beautiful song birds float about in the open
| country?
This lightness Of the wing is because they
| are glad to be free to fly about as they wish
| ard are not Gagged up as prisoners 1t is
| cruel 70 cage these birds, because their ma
| ture IS to fly about in the open country,
| where they may enjoy life much more than
| to be Gagged up n somebody's house. Some
birds Will not live long If you cage them.
Such as the cardinal, blue bird. robin, wood
pecker, wren au1 MARY other kinds. 1t is
rot casing them. but the boys and men hunt
through the woods for them in order to have
something to do.
The boys throw stones after them and the
men shoot them for nothing. They do us no
harm and the farmers Il great deal of good,
such as destroying worms, bugs, caterpil-
lars. ,tc.
This year a report has come saying that
we have less song birds than any part of
| the country in tie United States. 1t is be-
cause shoot them and drive them away.
When .he birds find that we are harm
ing them, they will nos come or stay here
any lolger.
Some people say sparrows drive our birds
away. Sc they DO. some of them. But 1t is
mostly due to the shooting and cagng of
the birds. for people say. something to
DO. There are plenty of things to do with
out shooting our beautiful song birds.
The women like fashion (of course), but
they do not have to wear birds wings
birds feathers and birds heads on their
Lats If they do not wish to. 1t is all for
fashion, which does not amount to anything
at ell.
There are many beautiful things in Wash
ington but this aubjecr is one we have al
most lost entirely. Our canary birds have
been 50 used to cages that 1t Is all right to
cage them, but do not cage our other song
birds IF any kind. Let all of our sunshine
members remember this story and stop
shooting the song birds, or in fact. all birds.
ROGER F. H., Age Years.
VISIT TO GRANDMA.
When 1 five years old mamma and
myself went out west the summer of 1898
to visit my grandmother, who was very
sick. had such lovely visit. but mamma
was in the sick room most all the time 1
used TO love to rove over my uncIe's park
as his lawn consisted of two acres of shade
trees and flower beds.
He made a bed of pansies for me- How 1
loved TO raise their beautiful faces They
were so beautiful to look at l used to sit
by the Eour by ray pansy bed, handling the
little blossoms. But did not pick them
My cousin had some pet rabbits 1 used
to feed them corn and lettuce leaves They
had pigeons and pair of turtle doves that
were so tame they would light on our heads
/ guess sometimes they were looking for
oats. They would walk up and down our
backs. stand on our shoulders and they
would sometimes light on my hand
One day grandma vas much worse and
mamma had scarcely left the sick room that
day. | ran in the sick room, all excited
crying: Mammal mamma, a pigeon is in
the rain barrett Mamma ran out took the
half-drowned pigeon 0Ut of the barrel and
wiped 1t gently with Il towel Then she
| wrapped Dick the pigeon. in a piece of fam
mel ami dried him in the warm oven
Dick didn't LOOK any the worse the next
day for his plunge. Uncle Verrus put a
board over the barrel after that Later in
the evening. when 1 went in to kiss grand
| ma good night she said: Louie you are
good girl"
l knew grandma was very sick 1 could
always tell when she was worse because
mamma would tell me to run out among the
| flowers and stay there. How we'll l remem-
| Ter one of these days. Grandma had been
very low all day and mamma took me I'D to
/ bed and laid me down without taking off
my dress or shoes. She kissed me and n
] great OF tear fell on my cheek and she
| knelt little while by my bed Then Aunt
| Lou called mamma in Il sharp, panied voice
as If something had happened. Mamma rose
| up, her face was SO white and drawn in the
gray shadows of the evening could see it
so plainly on that inward sight
The rext day was one of gloom every
! where, even the flowers seemed to droop
| and the birds were taken off the porch to