Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-18


nal love?
Always Active.
But there is another fact which i'm.
presses me about the lives of the spar.
rows or of the other birds Of the woods, !
and that Is their ceascless activity. |
They never seem to be still If you |
are walking along the country road |
you see them always on the wing. If
YOU try to read book under m over
hanging bough and you are covered |
I'D by a curtain Of leaves so that they |
cannot see you they still keep on the
move. You see them flying hither and
thitbpr. Now they are seeking food;
now they arc speeding away as If they
were going to visit some friends They
are flying yes, nearly always dying.
During the intense heat of the day
some of them may rcst for n little
while in the cool shade of lcafy bow
or. But for the most part they are on
the wing and moving this way and
that.
While you watch this ceasclcss ac-
tivity Of the bird you may say to me,
"If God is good and God is kind, why
does he not make life easier for the
sparrowsT Then would say. at is a
good God who keeps the little birds on
the move. 1t would be cruel God
who would allow the sparrow to sit
still and do nothing" Supposng I
should go out today and catch little
sparrow and shut him in golden cage
as some women do with their sweet
throated cauaries. Then, supposing
should All the seed cup of that cage
with the most entlcing bird food and
put the clcarest, purest water into the
cup. Then. supposlng ! should say to
this Gagged bird: Nov. sparrow, | am
going to make your life life of joy,
for it shall he n life of ease. | will
give you all the sunlight you want, all
the food you want and all the drink
you want. ! shall clean out the age
at least twice day. so no dirt shall he
to sit upon a perch, just rs YOU sit
upon n tree branch and twitter and
talk and talk and twttcr." What
would be the result? Why. soon, very
soon. the plumagc Of that sparrow
would be rntiled. Then his head would
droop, and lie would sickon and die.
| All. the sparrow docs not find health
| and strength and happiness in doing
nothing. God blesscS his creatures by
giving them opportunity for ceascless
| activity He never blcsses a life by
never ending ease
The Trouts Fin
Why does the trout's fin look like a
eddy? Because every morning and
evening he finds his health and
strength and Joy through working and
taboring in the currents of the brook
20 get his daily food. Why do the low
or branches Of 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. bu: by that work he gets clear
er brain and purcr blood and happier
life. Oh, my friends, do not hegrudge
the sparrows their work, DO not say
to me that it Is q cruel God who would
hide food for his little birds In the
who would make life easy for his chill
dren and for his feathercd friends.
AS see the little sparrows flying
hither and thither see that theil
wings were not given TO them alone
for seeking food. The God who bids
the sparrovs work that. they may
have happiness and health is the same
God who SAYS: "SpArrowH. | will pro
tect YOU from your enemies. | vii
give you mans for fleeing away
from danger. Though the hunters gun
try to shoot you and the serpent's ey,
to fascinate YOU and the wildcat to xii
you yet with wings you shall fine
safety for yourself and also safety fo
b your little ones" Did you ever stop t
think that God never created Twin:
creature unless he made it possible fo
that creature to have some means t
, defend himself against his foes in com
bat or else some means by which HI
might seek safety in flight:
Some time ago 1t was my privilege t
spend few weeks camping in TIT
+ mountains. Al that time there was
2 government restriction against takinj
:, Il shotgun into those hills. The fores
rangers said. You must not kill tn
: birds" 1t was not at that time tn
l. season for hunting the deer. The onl.
/ things man was allowed to shoe
t were the ground squirrels and then h
$ must shoot with a ride. In one sens
V they offered . rich prize for the camp
| err, for squirrels can be cooked into tn
e most palatable and toothsome of dish
s cs. But" said TO one Of the noun
T tnneers, "why do they say we ca
G shoot ground squirrels? There are II
ground squirrels here to shoot" ~
n ground squirrels" he exclaimed. "Why
u there are thousands of them about.
r That Is strange | answered. g
n have not seen any of them" But on
q evening short time after alone too
Y 2 walk away from camp. | left behin
L me for tie first time a little spanc
q dog which generally followed me o
h my tramps. He always ran ahead /
4 my walks. This evening found tina
II the mountancer was right, Their
u were literally hundreds Of squirrel
a around. Then | soliloquized thus: "Al
, now | understand why l did not Sc
at, IL