The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-08-15


put her banjo into It's case, silently
gathered up her music, and no one
mentioned the concert
The Bird Woman left Mclean and
the angel 10 clear away the lunch and
with Freckles examined the walls OF
his room and told him oil she knew
about his shrubs and flowers. She an
alyzed a cardinal flower and showed
him what be had all summer wanted
TO know-why the bees buzzed inef
fectuaily about II while the hummine
birds found in II an ever ready feast
Some Of his specimens were 30 rare
that she was Unfamiliar with them,
and with the flower book between
them they knelt. studying the different
varieties. She wandered the length OF
the cathedral aisle with him, and II
was at her suggestion that he lighted
his altar with a row Of flaming foIfre.
As Freckles came up to the cabin
from his long day at the swamp he
saw Mrs Chicken sweeping away 10
the south and wondered where she was
going. He stepped into the bright.
cory little kitchen. and as he reached
down the wash basin he asked Mrs.
Duncan a question.
Mother Duncan, do kisses wash
onY'
Lord. ma. Frecklesr she cried. AT
least the anes ye get from people ye
love dinna. They dinna stay on the
outside. They strike In until they End
the center of your heart and make
their stopping place there. and naeth'
ing can take them from ye-I doubt II
even death. Ma. lad. ye can be rect
sure kisses dlnna wash on"
Freckles set the basin down and NUT
tered. 81 needn't be afraid to be wash
ing. then. for that one struck In"
81 WISH" said Freckles at breakfast
one morning. that I had some way to
be sending a message to the Bird wo-
man. I've something down at the
swamp that I'm believing never hap
pened before. and surely she'll be want.
ing IT,"
what now. FrecklesH' asked Mrs.
Duncan.
why, the oldest thing you ever
heard Of" said Freckies. The whole
insect tribe gone on a spree. I'm sup
posing It's my fault. but II all hap
pened by accident-like. You see. on
the swale side OF the line. right
against me trail. there's one OF these
scrub wild crab trees. Where the
grass grows thick about II Is the
finest place you ever conceived OF for
snakes Having women about has set
me trying to clean out those fellows a
bit. and yesterday I noticed that tree
In passing. IL struck me that II
would be a good idea to be taking II
out First I thought I'D take me
Ratchet and cut II down. for II amt
thicker than me upper arm. Then ]
remembered how It was blooming In
the spring and 6lling all the air with
sweetness. The coloring Of the bios
SONS Is beautiful. and I hated to be
killing II. Just cut the grass short
all about IT, Then | started at the
ground. trimmed up the trunk near
the height OF me shoulder and left
the top spreading. That made IL look
so truly ornamental that, idle like.
chips OF the rough places neat, and
this morning. on me soul. it's q sight
You see. cutting OF the limbs and
trimming up the trunks sets the sap
running. In this hot sun It ferments
In a few hours. There isn't much
room for more things TO crowd on
that tree than there are. and TO get
drunken isn't noways possible"
"weel. I be drawed onr' exclaimed
Mrs. Duncan. what kind OF things
do ye mean. FrecklesT"
"why. Just an army OF black ants.
Some Of them are sucking away IKE
old topers- Some OF them are setting
up on their tails and hind legs, Cd
ding away with their fore feet and
wiping their eyes. Some are rolling
around on the ground. contented
There are quantities Of big bluebottle
flies over the bark and hanging on the
grasses about. too drunk TO steer
course dying. so they Just buzz away
like flying and all the time sitting
still. The snake feeders are too full 10
feed anything. even more sap TO them
selves. There's lot Of hard backed
bugs--beetles. I guess-colored like the
brown. blue and black Of peacock's
tail They hang on until the legs OF
them are so wake they can't stick
minute longer. and then they break
away and fall TO the ground. They Just
lay there on their backs. fably claw.
log air. When 1t wears OF a BIT. M
they get and % crawling back for
more. and thsy 30 full they bump into
each other and roll over. Sometimes
they can't climb the tree until they
wait to sober up a little. There's a lot
Of big black and gold bumblebees. done
for entire, stumbling over the bark
and rolling on the ground. They just
lay there on their backs. rocking from
side to side. singing to themselves like
fat, happy babies. The wild bees keep
up a steady buzzing with the beating
Of their wings
"The butterflies are the worst old
topers OF them all. They're Just a cir |
cusl You never saw the beat Of the
beautiesl They come every color you
could be naming and every shape you
could be thinking up. They drink and
drink until II I'm driving them away
they stagRer as thew dy and turn som.