Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-05-14
In its struggles to reach light and air.
FreckleS stood and stared,

There's something In there trying
to get out" he muttered. wonder II
could help It? Guess l best not he
trying. Ii hadn't happened along
there wouldn't have been any one to
help It. and maybe Id only be hurting
1t. It's-it's-oh. skaggany! It's just
being bornr'
Freckles gasped with surprise. The
moth cleared the opening and with
great wobblings and cOntortions climb
ed up the tree. He stared. speechless
with amazement as the moth crept
around a limb and clung to the under
side. There was great pursy body
almost as large as his thumb and OF
the very snowiest white that Freckles
had ever seen. There was band OF
delicate lavender across Its forehead.
and its feet were of the same color.
There were antlers like tiny straw
colored ferns on its head and on its
shoulders little wet looking flaps no
bigger than his thumb nail. Freckles
saw that those queer little wet look
ing things were expanding. dropping,
taking OH color. and small oval mark
ings were beginning to show.
The minutes went by. Freckles'
| steady gaze never wavered Without
realizing 1t he was trembling with
eagerness aud anxiety. As he saw
what was taking place ITS going to
have wings" he breathed in hushed
wonder. The morning sun fell on the
moth and dried its velvet down, and
the soft air made it fluffy. The rapid
IL growing wings began to appear to
be of the most delicate green. with Law
ender fore ribs. transparent. eye shap-
ed markings edged with lines OF red,
tan and black and long, crisp trailers.
Freckles was whispering to himself
for fear of disturbing the moth. 1t be,
gan a systematic exercise OF raising
and lowering its exquisite wings to
dry them and to establish circulation.
Freckles realized that it would soon
he able to spread them and sail away.
His long coming soul sent up Its first
shivering cry.
81 don't know what it Is. Oh. wish
knew! How I wish knew! 1t
must be something grand. It can't be
a butterfly. It's away too big. on,
I wish there was some one to tell me
what it Ia"
He climbed on the locust post and,
balancing himself by the wire. held a
finger in the line of the moths advance
up the twig. It pnhesitatingly climbed
on. and he stepped back to the path.
holding 1t up to the light and examin-
ing 1t closely. Then he held 1t in the
shade and turned It. gloating over Its
markings and beautiful coloring. When
he held the moth back to the limb 1t
climbed on. still waving those magnih,
cent wings.
"My. but I'd like to be staying with
you! he said. "But II was to stay
here all day you couldn't get any pret,
tier than you are right now and l
wouldn't get smart enough to tell what
you are. I suppose there's some one
that knows. OF course there is. Mr..
Mclean said there were people that
knew every leaf, bird and flower in the
Limberlost. Oh. lord. how wish you'd
be telling me just this one thing|
The goldhnch had ventured back to
the wire, for there was his mate only
a few inches above the man creatures
head, and, indeed. he simply must not
be allowed to look up just them. so the
brave little fellow rocked on the wire
and piped up. Just as he had done ev-
cry day for q week, "See me; see mer'
"See you'll OF course see you"
growled Freckles. Il see you day aft.
er day, and what good Is 1t doing met
l might see you every morning for a
year and then not be able to be telling
any one about It. Seen bird-little
and yellow as any canary. with black
silk wings That's as far as Id get.
What you doing here anyway? Have
you a mate? What's your name! see
your l reckon see you. but l might
as we'll be blind for any good it's doing
mer
Freckles imputiently struck the wire.
With a screech of fear the goldfnch
fed precipitately. His mate tore from
of the nest with a whirr. Freckles
looked up and saw 1t.
"O-hoI" he cried. $50 that's what
you are doing here. You have wife.
Freckles climbed up to examine the
neat, tiny cradle and its contents. Th"
hen darted at him in frenzy. Now.
where do you come in" he demanded
when he saw that she was not like
the goldanch.
"You be clearing out of here! This
Is none of your fry. This Is the nest
of me little yellow friend Of the wire
and you shan't be touching 1t. Don't
blame you for wanting to see though.
NV. but it's u fine nest and beauties of
eggs. VIII you be keeping away or
will 1 FIRE this stick at your
Freckles dropped back to the trail
The hen darted to the nest and settled
on it with n tender. coddling move
ment. He Of the yellow coat dew to
the edge to make sure that everything
was right.
"Well. I'll be switched" mutterrd
Freckles. .lf that amt both their
nest. And he's yellow and she's green,
or she's yellow and he's green. Or
course don't know, and l haven't
any way to find out. but it's plain as
the nose on your face that they are
both ready to be lighting for that nest.
so of course they belong. Don't that
beat you? Say. that's what's been
sticking me for all Of these two weeks
on that grass nest In the thorn tree
down the line. One day bluebird
Is setting. and I think 1t Is hers. The
next day q brown bird Is on. and
chase It of because the nest Is blues.
Next day the brown bird Is on again.
and I let her be because think II
must be hers. Next day, be golly,
blues on again. and OF I sent her be-
cause it's browns. and now ! bet my
hat it's both their nest. and I've only
been bothering them and making big
fool Of meself."
Freckles plodded on down the trail
scowling blackly and viciously spang'
Ing the wire. At the finches' nest ne
left the line and peered into the thorn
tree. There was no bird brooding. he
pressed closer to take a peep at the
snowy. spotless little eggs he had
found 80 beautiful, and at the slight
noise up hared four tiny baby heads
,,.t x,tda oman mouths and hunger