Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-07-19

still and do nothing" Surprising I
should go out today and catch a little
sparrow and shut him In a golden cage
as some women do with their sweet
throated canaries. Then, supposing I
should Ill the seed cup OF that cage
with the most enticing bird food and
put the clearest, purest water into the
cup. Then, supposing l should say to
this Gagged bird: "Now. sparrow, am
going to make your life a life of Joy,
for ii shall be life of ease l will
give you all the sunlight you want all
the food you want and all the drink
you want. 1 shall clean out the cage
at least twice day, so no dirt shall be
about you. All that you need to do Is
to sit upon perch, just MS you sit
upon n tree branch, and twitter and
talk and talk and twltter." What
would be the result? Why, soon, very
soon, the plumage of that sparrow
would be ruffled. Then his head would
droop, and he would sicken and die.
Alb, the sparrow does not find health
and strength and happiness in doing
nothing! God blesses bis creatures by
giving them opportunity for ceaseless
activity. He never blesses life by
never ending ease.
The Trout,s Fin.
Why does the trout's fin look like a
fake of silver as he leaps out of the
eddy? Because every morning and
evening he finds his health and
strength and joy through working and
laboring in the currents of the brook
to get his daily food. Why do the low
er branches of a tree grow stronger
and heavier? Because each lower
branch has to reach out farther and
farther in order TO push its leaves into
the sunlight. Why does the busy man
find life an endless joy? Because as he
works and keeps on working he not
only wins a livelihood for his dear
ones, but by that work he gets clear
err brain and purer blood and happier
life. oh, my friends, do not begrudge
the sparrows their work! Do not say
to me that il is cruel God who would
hide food for his little birds in the
earth. Cruel indeed would be that God
who would make life easy for his chill
dren and for his feathered friends.
AS 1 see the little sparrows flying
hither and thither I see that their
wings were not given TO them alone
for seeking food. The God who bids
the sparrows work that they may
have happiness and health is the same
God who says: "Sparrows, will pro-
tect you from your enemies. will
give you a means for fleeing away
from danger. Though the hunters gun
try TO shoot you and the serpents eye
% Fnc a. n 1.
you, yet with wings you shall find
safety for yourself and also safety for
your little ones" Did you ever stop to
think that God never created living
creature unless he made it possible for
that creature to have some means to
defend himself against his foes in COM
bat or else some means by which he
might seek safety in fight?
Some time ago Ii was my privilege to
spend n few weeks camping In the
mountains. At that time there was n
government restriction against taking
a shotgun into those hills. The forest
rangers said, "You must not kill the
birds" 1t was not at that time the
season for hunting the deer. The only
things man was allowed to shoot
NNAt thS ShVuhh anu lUCn lie
must shoot with n rifle. In one sense
they offered a rich prize for the camp
or, for squirrels can be cooked into the
most palatable and toothsome of dish
es. But" / said to one of the noun
taineers, why do they say we can
shoot ground squirrels? There arc no
ground squirrels here to shoot "No
ground squirrels 2" he exclaimed. "Why.
there are thousands of them about"
THAT is strange" / answered. "T
have not seen any OF them" But one
evening short time after alone took
a walk away from camp. left behind
me for the first time a little spaniel
dog which generally followed me on
my tramps. He always ran ahead in
my walks. This evening 1 found that
the mountaineer was right There
were literally hundreds of SQUIRRELS
around. Then soliloquized thus: "Ah.
now / understand why / did not see
the ground squirrel beforeI My dog
with his hunting blood would run
ahead. Then whenever he saw a
ground squirrel he would dart after 1t.
Then that squirrel and all the other
squirrels about would seek safety by
running into their holes, which they
had dug into the ground where the dog
could not follow them" God gives to
the squirrel hole In the ground for
his place of safety. 1.-The ants are q
people not strong, yet they prepare
their meat I'm the summer The comics
are but feeble folk, yet make their |
homes In the rocks. The locusts have
no king, yet so they forth all of them |
by hundreds. The spider taketh hold |
with her hands and is I'm kings pal |
aces" God gives to all of his creatures
not only means of subsistence, but also |
means OF defense or escape from their |
enemies. Thus 1t is with the sparrow.
Thus it is with man.
When i see the little birds building
their nests high in the trees to escape
the dangers OF earth / seem to hear
God say, Child, come and build thy |
nest high up in the tree of Calvary to |
escape the dangers of sim" Oh, We
who are weak and helpless, why will |
ye try TO rest amid the deep entangled
grasses and thickets OF earth when |
the great broad beam of the cross is |
such safe place upon which to rest?
Nests High Up.
But, though I am struck with many |
wonderful characteristics of the little |
birds OF the woods, after all, their alb
sences at certain seasons of the year |
impress me just as much as the bless |
ings with which they are surrounded |
In the spring and the summer and the |!
autumn. November slips into Deem