The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-11
THE SPARROWS' CLOCK.

The Youth 8 Companion
It did seem to be a very hard matter to get GER
tain little brown head and pair of sturdy feet of the
Craig household started mornings They everywhere
when about, but to start them the trouble.
Christmas was over you know, and there moth
ing interesting wake up for Father Craig called
Mother Craig entreated, and Sister Sue pinched and
tickled in
Roy was always late to breakfast and tumbled into
his seat at school, spent and breathles at the last
ment leaving behind him equally spent and breahless
household which had finally succeeded in getting him off,
He only years old, it true, but Mother
Craig said such hardness would d. for boy who
was tardy would grow into tardy man.
She lay awake morning. thinking about it. almost
unhappy in spite Of the bright sweep of sky which
her window framed and the gay twtter of
which had lately found roosng place the vines above
the window.
Suddenly she smiled a knowing mother smile.
That night she putting the brown head to bed,
no Longer heavy but alert and ready for new interests
Troy, suppose we see if you cannot get up bette.
mornings by Mrs sparrow's clock than by mother g."
''Mrs. sparrow's clock!'' exclaimed Roy. "What do
she kesp IT,
that God put in the sky-the She tell by it
just the time to get up mornings and when she wakes
she gives soft 'chrp ehirp' and starts all her family
stirring Suppose let her call you at the time,
and then know you must bound right out of bed when
she calls, just the other birds do.''
'Oh, that viii be fne and III do it, promise!''
said Roy and begged mother be he awake
ready for the first chirp from Mrs. Sparrow
So she did, and that hitherto heavy brown head
popped right up in bed.
elias Mrs. Sparrow calede" he cried. 1888.
"Not yet," said mother, |tbut she will in just a
minute, and before she had finished speaking there
the soft "chirpl chirp" and then the merriest
auttering and twittering ever heard, while Roy
bounded out Of bed. ..@..-,
Mother had sent the shade up to the window top and
Roy busy watching the Sparrow family make their
toilet and hearing about them that he did realize he
was dressing, and by the time they off for their
breakfast, he was-ready to go down to his
In few mornings he and the birds racing and
after that, while wings futtered and feathers were
smoothing out stockings and Shoes trousers and jacket
were hustling
Sometimes the birds won, and few gayy off after
their breakfast with cries Of victory, Roy said Some
times he and went shouting down the stairs while
other good days it draw, and Roy bounded
the birds flew off at the time.
But Mrs. Sparrows clock showed its face in the sky
little earlier each day. and by early spring it got him
up there to play outdoors before school,
while those energetic sparrows kept on rising earlier
and earlier, just to beat him, Roy said, until at last
would you believe hFthey got up about four in tho
morning.
Then Roy had to give up, but it was about vacation
time and he said he did not Next winter he would
90 by their clock again, and beat them again, too
Victims Of tho North
During tho nineteenth century 200 ships,
lives $40 900 900 futile