Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-04-27
THE DESERT AND THE RAVEN.
Telling Of the Tender Wings that Bore
Sufferer Out Of the Desert Of Pain to
Health and HanoIneas.


Nellie Comins whitaker in woman's
Home Companion.l
1t was in April that we retired into
the Desert-Pain. the Trained Nurse and l.
For a score Of days 1 saw neither the
Desert nor the Nurse, only Pain; though
other people and strange shapes thronged
about me and pressed upon me and
wearied me all the time. But one morn
Ing In the first tender light Of dawn 1
looked up with some comprehension; saw
the room which made my Desert and
saw the Nurse. but Pain came between
and YEARLY / closed my eyes.
And then from outside my window clear
and pure came the message Of the song
sparrow lining to me his old text, WALT,
walt, walt only be patient a little"
opened my eyes again and turned them
toward the broadening light. The Nurse
OF course saw the movement. DO you
want anything?' she said. Yes l an
swered. Il want to be we'll" And SO 1
began the weary way upward, but there
were wings that bore me on.
l could not move hand or foot ever 80
little, and Pain was continually with me;
but when i awoke, wandering and ex-
hausted, always my lesson was sung TO
me- so sweet, so clear that / rallied
patience for another day. With the song
sparrow came the bluebird, warbling
sorry, sorry fun OF tenderest sympathy.
And In the heavenly dawns when all the
birds rose up to sing and the Trained
Nurse was not yet reused 10 her activi-
ties ] had blessed times naming my choir
and fitting the words to their song. One
morning / begged the Nurse to lift my
mead a little, and in the new position
could see birch tree and a span OF tele-
phone wine And while she was at break
fast and was at peace a glorious tanager
alighted for a moment on the top Of the
tree The tanager and / had never been
friends, but for that gracious act / shall
love him forevermore.
II made no difference what the Trained
Nurse did to me or what she asked me
to do, yielded meekly; / even opened
my mouth for all that she brought me-
Every time that she said was gaining
asked her when she thought 1 might sit
up I'm the chair by the window. And one
day, ah, one blessed day! faint. trembling,
with strange lights whirling before me, I
sank into the desired seat. There were
tears in my eyes at first / am afraid, but
soon looked forth with clear vision and
saw--Springl
JUST beneath my window was a great
japanese ounce bush coming into roseate
bloom. Behind It were first a row OF pear
trees, then the grape trellises. then the
hedge and the procession OF elms. Stark
and leafless when ] turned my face away
from them, they mad come to their Easter,
their annual miracle of resurrection. Over
all the branches was that dainty mist OF
what our French cousins call vert tendre
II Is tender green, not a pale one. On
strong upbearing wings a robin rose to
the top OF the elm. well, we'll" ne called
10 me. and my spirits flew up with him.
1t was the ounce bush that drew my
eyes again; and suddenly. just above IL,
hung poised-'Is II a gem. half bird? Or
is il bird, half gem?"-that which seems
to me the most exquisite of creations All
the weeks that ! sat in my seat of obser-
walton the ounce bush and the pear trees
were full OF humming birds, but not vet
am able TO take one calmly. The throb-
bling throat is still to me a Jewel and a
flame. From the earliest moment that I
could win my seat in the morning until /
was compelled away at night there were
always hummers in the bush, even during
rain storms SO severe that / feared lest
the frail wings be beaten down. / came
to know this resonance OF emerald" so
well that / found how the books do not
tell all the truth about him. / read, for
example. that the males are seldom seen
perching. My birds were nearly all males
and they mad definite and accustomed
roosts where they sat i've or ten minutes
to visit and sympathize with me, appear
ing as unable to move as !. They knew
how loved their luminous threats and
would turn and flash tnem for my pleas
ure.
The orioles, 100. were my constant
friends had hoped that they would
build their nursery where could see its
outer walls, but perhaps gained more
entertainment from their dining room In
the ounce bush. When / first came 10
the window very large and bright color
ed male was going methodically over every
blossom on the bush. NY lady Baltimore
hau not yet arrived, but he expected her
every day and was continually calling for
her. "Dearie? Dearie?" For the most mart
ne kept the bush to himself, but at times
he let young and very elegant male with
strange golden pencllings on mis- wing
coverts take luncheon with him. He was
evidently a travelling companion of his: I
liked to think him a son OF his last years
brood.
When my lady Baltimore came her 10y
ful lord was ecstatic. Everything was
glorious! giorious!" He showed her the
resources and delights Of his dining hall
at once-and in her quiet way 1 think she
appreciated them She was lady Of
aristocratic manners and appearance; Just
below her collar was a tiny black brooch
which gave her quite an air. especially as
IL was bit on the left side And she
and my lord ate at that bush. without
haste, without rest, from morn until dark
NO other oriole was permitted there ex-
cept the one prince occasionally Ny
constant guests grew rounder every 6ay
and they deserved their prosperity. Their
companionship never failed me- and they
always had some announcement for me
perfectly oblivious II Pain scowled at them
from the window or the Trained Nurse
drew down the shade.
Lying In bed in sight OF the telephone
wire l found that the bluebirds had devel-
oped system In their comings and go
ings, and soon solved their secret. They
had nest in the box on the carriage
mousse, and those blessed birds, radiant Sir
and dainty Madam, in her gown OF pastel
shades took point just in my line of
vision as their place OF alighting before
they dropped to the hungry babies in the
Dox. Sometimes they sat side by side and
looked at the little home and murmured
''lovely lovely!' with the tenderest in
donations. The flight Of the bluebirds al
ways makes me think that pair OF cher
ubs has gone by; they bring a bit OF
heavenly color. and their motion is so
gentle and soft and slow
The orioles and the bluebirds were my
most constant visitors bur the catbirds,
too, were always a joy. singing so in
imitably at the wakefu dawn, hitting
almost invisibly through the shrubbery,
pulling grapevine fiber for their nests.
nirting their Quaker petticoats to show
their red dust ruffies, or pumping with
their tails ridiculous flight through the
rain. The fat robins were always in sight
ana always I'm hurry; ! did not wonder
as l thought Of the great yellow mouths
gaming "a hnrvan