Mexico Missouri message., 1905-03-16
A CANARY'S SONG.
BY WALTER BROWNE.

a furnished room mouse In the most
squalid section of great city.
The little tufted yellow head can
surely hold only tiny and unreasoning
thoughts, and yet, II one could have
read Alright that plaintive 'chirp!
chirp! chirp!" this Is the story 1t had
20 tell:
Come! come! come to me, sweet
mistress. Oh! why have they covered
me up? How can | sing to you when
the light Of day is hidden by this
winding sheet about my cage? Naught
but the husks Of seeds are scattered
on the unchanged sand. The water
font is dry. have not seen the sun
light for four long days. How can
sing? Oh! sweet mistress, why have
you forgotten me?
Have you forgotten the days when,
in the proud plumage Of my youth, /
sang my earliest songs to you, melted
by the invitation of your prettily
pursed lips? How often together we
rejoiced, you in the fresh glow Of girl
hood, caroling some simple song, and
!, with swelling throat striving to out
sing you. All! Those we're glorious
days. From the gladness Of our hearts
we sang together then.
What was the song sang you
then? viii 1t not call you back to me?
Listen! / will try.
Thrill! Tr-r-r-r-r-n. JOY! JOY! JoyI
Sweet! Sweet-sweet! Tr-r-r-r-ll!
How can l sing? My song sounds
like the ghost of buried happiness, in
an effort to escape, awaking the
echoes Of its tomb.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Oh, mistress,
mine, will you never come?
You came and gave me light and
love once more, when, after that terri.
bic time of dismal darkness, and the
din of travel, which came near terrify-
ing me to death, the covering was
taken from my cage and we found
ourselves in the noisy city. How
fluttered with alright when, even
with your own gentle hands, you took
me from my old cage and put me in
this home of gilt and colored glass Nc
more we saw the trees and flowers,
but stlll we sang our songs, and was
happy.
There was another voice added to
our anthems, a strong, manly voice,
which sang-so | thUught-far too late
into the night. With my head under
my wing, it seemed to my tiny MIND
that the music was marred. l would
often wonder why we left the pleasant
porch where first We sang together;
for the heat and glamOr of that efful.
gent fiat. But you, sweet mistress,
your plumage was much more beauti-
full than before, and well, l liked
him because he gave me sugar. To.
gether we sang as happily, or nearly
as happily rs ever
when he came no longer, / strove
to cheer you up with my singing, did
| not? Even during those dreary days
when your voice was only heard In
means and sobs, | knew you missed
him much for even did | not misc
the sugar he used to give me?
When We left that flat | wondered
why We did not 90 back TO the dear
old home again. But even though each
change, eacn removal which followed,
was more gloomy and dismal than the
last, was thankful that you took me
with you still loved to hear your
voice, although no longer you sang
with me, ana knew that you loved
mine
when at last we came to this chill
room, which the sunshine never smiles
upon, | sang to you, did | not, until /
saw you laid on your bed night and
day, and night and day again. Then
thought how tired and weary you must
be. AMI so closed my songs.
when the days went by thus !
feared that, as there was no sunshine,
you might think it always night, and
perhaps that was why you kept your
bed and tossed about, and talked so
strangely in your sleep. strove to
wake you with my songs, and then
there came strangers who put this !
cloak around my cage.
"ChiFp! ChiFp! Chirp! Sweet
Sweet! | must see you.
Il peck at the frowsy cloth which
rllngs around my home like shroud.
With the little strength still left me ] |
tear 1t into holes, and see you there,
my mistress-sweet, sweet mistress,
mine!
you are laid upon the bed, and |
around you are hyacinths, and gar
lenias, and white roses, but none OF |
hem arc whittier than those lips which |
20 often have cheered me into song.
And I-even !, only a tiny Bird
understand that my songs are not |
needed now, for never more can you,
sweet mistress, hear them. You are
lead.
How do know? What do UNDER
stand Of death?
"This-a dog came proWllng around |
he cottage whore my mistress and ! |
lwelt, one summer evening. The dog
Ieemed kindly enough, so none drove
him away. But in the morning, on the
toop, were few white feathers, and
ny mistress said the dog had robbed
he dovecote in the night. He had
,lied an innocent. harmless bird, she
aid
Sometimes wondered why some
me did not kill the dog.
"Chirp! CHR Chi"
"prat It, the birds dead" said the
andlady when she cleaned the room
fter the funeral. STARVED to death.