The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1910-11-25
PENCIL PARAGRAPHS

AUDUBON societies are seeing results
from their tedious crusade in behalf
OF the song birds. New York has pass
ed their "plumage BILL" and also pro-
nlblts the sale of aigrettes. 1t is an
lawful in New York to use the plum
age of any wild bird on hats and
there are forty-three different kinds
OF birds in that state now protected
from the milliners' needle. 1t is but
1alr, however, to console ourselves,
VINO have worn birds, with the fact
that the Audubon societies are seek
ing to enact laws against cats as enc
mics OF birds. Some genius will in
vent a way to trap English sparrows,
cats will be eliminated, trees will -four
ish and songbirds will again be at
home within them.
Some newspaper lost a treasure in
the form of society" reporter when
DR.. Holmes studied medicine and
wrote poetry. If you don't believe it,
read this extract from his pen:
Il don't like your chopped music
anyway. That woman (she had more
sense in her little finger than forty
medical societies), Florence Nightin-
gale, says that the music you pour out
is good for sick folks, and the music
you pound out isn't. Not that exact
ly, but something like it. l have been
to hear some music-pOunding. 1t was
a young woman, with as many white
muslin fiounces round her as the planet
Saturn had rings, that did it, She
gave the music-stool a twirl or two,
and f1uffed down on to it like a whirl
of soapsuds in handbasin. Then she
pushed up her cuffs as if she was 60
ing to fight for the champions belt
Then she worked her wrists and her
hands, to timber 'em, l suppose, and
spread out her fingers till they looked
as if they would pretty much cover the
keyboard, from the growing end to
the squeaky one Then those two
hands of hers made jump at the keys
as if they were a couple of tigers
coming down on a flock of black and
white sheep, and the piano gave
great howl as if it's tail had been trod
on. Dead stop-so still you could
hear your hair growing. Then another
jump, and another howl, as if the piano
! had two tails and you had trod on both
of them at once, and then a grand
clatter and scramble and string of
jumps, up and down, back and forward,
one hand over the other like a STAN
pede of rats and mice more than any
thing | call music | like to hear a
woman sing, and like to hear fiddle
sing, but those noises they hammer
out of those wooden and ivory anvils-
don't talk to me, | know the difference
between a bull-frog and a wood
/ thrush"
Now, anybody who has lived forty
! years with ears that hear, knows per-
fectly we'll that Doctor Holmes had
been listening to the 'Maiden's Pray
en-" played by a girl who had been
instructed by man-one, too, who be-
lieyed in the Strengthening virtue of
octaves and trills
/ But everything depends on how it is
J done and by whom. After reading that
pen-picture of the "Maidens Prayer,
could you be induced to believe that a
dear little old lady can play it with
a gentle gliding touch, in spite of the
loud pedal and stacato notes in the
music, and really make melody that
recalls sweet thoughts in a dream?
When she plays it the notes that are
skurrying mice under some hands, be
come the beads of a rosary slipping
softly between the fingers of the maid
en- in whose soul an undertone OF
youthful buoyancy cannot be overcome
by the solemnity of devotion.
We have all heard those pugilistic
pianists-but are there not others also
who pour their melodious notes like
bird carols? There are neighbors OF
mine who play for me while l write
l do not think ever could tire of soft
flowing music, and 1 hereby kiss my
hand to the good little girl who play
ed Schubert's Serenade so softly and
caressingly few nights ago.