Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-16

Inc wounded bird Huttefed out OF
my hand and fell upon the ground. /
put my foot hastily upon it.
Take your foot away!"
1t was a command from Billy and /
obeyed it. But instantly WIS angry
both at myself and Billy. reclaimed
the bird from his savagely.
Turn your back! 1t is wounded and
must not be left to suffer. must
kill It"
But my command was the desper-
ate command of the convicted. 1t was
nothing like imperial Billy's. Nor was
lit SO obeyed.
/ Let me have it." begged Billy. 81
can cure it,
| / laughed-but far from happily.
/ Anyhow, 1T is better for It to die
than to be killed"
O wonderful distinction!
"This Is more merciful," pleaded.
But 1t is your fault, papa. You
hurt it. and now you want to kill 1t
cause you hurt it. And it's just a
helpless little bird that couldn't hurt
you"
Taking advantage Of ones own
wrong had never had more powerful
or personal demonstration.
Billy caressed the little, ruffled, de-
dragged thing in my hands, speaking
a sort of language to 1t that did not
understand, but which | think the dy-
ing thing did. I hope when die Billy
will be able to speak as lovingly to me.
But among other things / heard
Billy saying: "This is the first, birdie
ldear-the poor little wing. That was
the time you cried out. Billy had to
hide his eyes then! This was the sec.
ond--this is the dear little neck
when you thought you were safe at
seal"
And then into my soul Billy put the
knife and turned it.
See how it hurts him when touch
that wing" Billy's touch, too, hurt!
''And oh, papa! Feel its dear little
heart .beat!"
I felt it now had not before. It
would go wildly for an instant-then
so slowly that 1t was lost. Billy" /
begged, II must kill 1t. You must let
me. Turn your back. You are too
young to understand. l must!' and
was sick at heart because l must.
Take care! You will stain your
clothes with blood"
II don't care--I don't care!" cried
the little boy "Give it to me! 1t will
live little while longer anyhow"
BILLY, we must be merciful to the
little bird and kill it, insisted, hop
ing that he would do little Billy
yet .frenzied with fear that 1t might.
But 1t was useless to try to make
Billy understand such fearful phil-
osophy as that-Billy, who had not his
philosophers from earth, but heaven,
think. I did not understand it N.Y.
self just then.
'.They don't kill people who are
hurt. They try to cure them" said
Billy.
"But Billy, this is only little bird!"
"And you are big mani"
1t was Billy's ultiinatum. And he
| had better have called me monster.
There was no answer to it. What was
to do? There lay the bird in my
palm gasping through the shot holes in
| its neck. 1t was useless to tell Billy
that nothing could save the small
thing. That it had but minute more
of life.
Papa, oughtn't we be kind to It?
We hurt it,"
Do you observe that he said t'We?"
| think was becoming bit hyster-
ical. But 1 shall call 1t simply impa-
tience. Then 1 found myself angry
at the cruel position into which Billy
had at last forced me-
Turn your back!" cried savagely.
Billy did this, and killed the bird
| and threw 1t up on the bit of hill
where Billy had used to sit. When
turned, with the very guilt of felon
inside to face the most relentless
judge in the world, Billy was gone. L
thanked God for It,
CHAPTER v.
have never shot another bird.
have since tried to kill no living crea-
ture. For, whatever may be it's form,
it has with it that wondrous thing
which God alone can give-life. And
the little boy and go out together
once more. At first he was very shy
of me. He understood that he had
judged me with too stern Justice
am sure he did not regret It, he, I am
also sure, rather felt that he had eX-
ercised powers not yet confded to him.
Then, perhaps, too, there might have
been something Of the sensation which
JuuS6 luuSL slcSl WIZ uIluS ululScll
compelled to intimate relations with
the ex-convict he made-but who has
reformed. I think no one quite knows
what judges attitude ought to be in
such a case. 1t is, to say the least,
embarrassing to both Again, Billy
may not have been as certain Of my
reformation as / was. had not
spoken. was both hurt and ashamed
before my serious little boy. felt
that he should have trusted my SUI
perior wisdom. Indeed, the only surety
Billy could have in those later days
was that never took my gun along
when we went out. But even that I
had not omitted at first. l was too
proud to at once admit my conviction
and reformation. At first would carry
my empty gun with me and come
home whistling, as If it were the most
natural and inspiring thing in the
world for hunter to carry an empty
gun on his shoulder and never hunt.
And then \ fancied that was not half
as bad al Billy thought me- had
always hked to kill wounded birds