Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-02-04
LOOKING into
I he s u NSE1T 7

ard l will say that he was a canary
whose pleasure and duty it was to
mind his mistress and keep her safe
from harm.
Oh, but he was a champion bird
was Richard! Afraid of nothing, chat
tering fierce warnings to the butcher
and the groceryman, and tolerating
the baker in a peremptory sort OF
way only because he was the man who
brought the bread; and when anybody
sought to ingratiate themselves With
this spirited bird by inserting finger
between the bars of his cage he almost
fell off his perch at the impudence OF
them and straightway fell to sharpen.
ing his beak on his bit of cutie his
chipping turned to the horrid croaking
of feathered pet who is presently
going to bite a finger off!
Well, then, it began with slight
hoarseness in Richards highest notes
and the moment she heard it Miss
Spencer folded her needlework-she
was knitting pair of shoes for some
fortunate little orphan-and mixed a
little flaXseed with Richards birdseed,
and shut a door and a window to
keep the draught off him, but all in
vain. His hoarseness increased to
an extent that would have discouraged
any other bird, but Richard, justly
named the Lion Heart, persevered in
his song until it sounded almost as
shrill as very rusty saw going
through very hard knot. In vain he
hoped from one perch to another; in
vain he sided along his perch, as he
sang, his poor little beak opened SO
wide that he had to shut his eyes:
his cold grew worse and worse and
he began to neglect his food.
Lettuce tempted him not, except for
hopeful moments; he turned up his
bill at celery tips and green peas, and
as for birdseed, he simply wouldn't
look at It,
And that was how Miss Spencer
missed going to church for the first
time in 20 years since the year Of
the great blizzard, to be exact, which
brings us to the doctor, whom you
will be able to picture clearly when
| whisper to you that he was an elder
ly blue-eyed gentleman, beloved of
everyone, who lived in considerable
awe of his housekeeper and was IA
nous for the great age of his horse.
Il didn't see Miss Spencer at church
this morning" said the doctor as he
obediently sat himself at the dinner
table.
"Out of town, mebbe." snapped the
housekeeper.
NO" said the doctor, she never
goes out of town.
The housekeeper ratified a plate.
1T is the first time that she has
missed church, said the doctor, since
can remember"
The housekeeper ratified another
plate and the doctor reapsed into 81
lence, but soon after dinner he har-
messed the ancient nag and half an
hour later Richard the Lion Heart had
his little beak opened and doctor of
medicine was trying to look at his
tongue,
A fortnight passed and the doctor
called every day, tempting Richards
appetite with chickweed-s lyly rubbed
with olive swathing his cage with
tiannels, coaNing him back to activity
and song: so that at the end Of the
fortnight the doctor announced that
his patient was entirely Well and re-
gretfully added that his visits, his
very pleasant visits for which he
would take no other fee than one. OF
Richards lion-hearted songs. would
have to cease and determine. He
stayed away a week and then he
called one evening lust to see" as
he told himself, how his patient was
getting along"
Little Miss Spencer was sitting at
the window knitting pair of socks
for another of those unfortunate or
phans. and Richards cage was on the
sill. where he was playing with bit
of yarn, trying to unravel it and call
ing to the homing sparrows. What Miss
Spencer's thoughts had been | do not
know, but as she knitted away and
looked at the sunset it sometimes
loJpeLtu, llllHh, lldl sue hllllleu Il
tear into those little wooden socks,
but yet, when the doctor entered, her
eyes were very bright
Well cried the doctor in his mild
and CHEEKY manner, land how's the
patient?"
He thinks he's making nest"
smiled Miss Spencer.
But what is he chattering about ."
asked the doctor.
Il think" said Miss Spencer, her
eyes brightly on her work, Il think
he is calling-to his mate"
And still the busy pins clicked in
and out of that fortunate orphans
socks, a little bit damp in place or
two, but none the worse for that, and
still Richard the Lion Heart unraveled
his bit of yarn and softly called TO the
homing birds.
He's lonely said the DOCTOR in a
voice so low You could hardly hear
him. "and so am L" he breathed, and
80 am but if you would care to be
ole