Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-01-16

We have often heard of 1.-THE man be
hind the gun" but Il 10 seldom that ".
think or hear OF the woman behind til,
gun, still she IL in evidence and, perhaps
unknOwingly, unwittingly-we will mo-
say heartlessly, as she has more hear
than the average man behind the gun
but she holds her position there and hal
held it long, through all the "peace con
veutions" aud remonstrances that have
been launched upon the public for year.
by the societies for the prevention Of
cruelty to animals and the helpless thai
have no helper. Possibly the following
extract may elucidate the situation and
bring things to focus.
away up 10 the air the mother eyre,
came flying to her nest. Her snowy
plumes floated In the air. She was
beautiful as white-robed angel
Straight she came to the nest where
three yellow threats were opened wide
and three little birds called . welcome.
Perhaps she was already trying TO de-
eide to which baby she would give the
small green frog In her beak. Up tip
ped her wings, out went her neck and
her feet were thrust down to take hold
of the edge of the nest Her lovely
plumes waved in the air. She was just
reaching out to drop the green frog down
the throat of-when bang! went q gun.
A terrible pain in her breast, a dizzy
feeling as she fell, fell, fell to the
ground"
Said the Professor: "I'm dead set
against the whole business, Jackson, but
when get houe I'm going to tell some
people where l think the trouble lies
and II is not with you hunters, either! ~
"Seein' you feel tha,away, I'll tell
you my try at the game. Me and a
Teller named Jim wanted some money,
so We hunted up a rOokery to shoot up.
Jim found little one and we camped
To keep rookery you've got to stay by
il, and to keep from soaring away the
birds, you've got to wait till the young
birds are hatched before shootin'. II
you shoot before the eggs are hatcEed
every mothers son OF 'em will be sure
to fly away"
"Won't they fly away as soon as you
shOot?"
"Nope. The old birds almost never
leave the little ones to starve."
"What luck did you have?"
"Jim and waited till the birds were
out of the she'll. First day Jim hid in
the bushes and shot few birds. Next
day l did, but there was some young
ones crying for food. Third day Jim
shot and I tended camp. Next day l
took turn about. I staid there some,
but the cries of the hungry babies was
sickening. A pore little young'un fell
at my feet. The little Teller was plum
starved to death. | couldn't stand it.
| went back and said to Jim, Jim, 1
can't stand this no longer. Them little
birds worry me too much. Let's go
home All right says Jim. We went
back aud I've never been plumin' since
and amt agoin'"
"Rotten buSiness-who's at the bot
tom of it any how?" eyer wimmen
folk. What docs they kser for US fellers
Twin in this hell down here, er fer the
little birds tibet starve ter death because
I've shot their pappys and mammys?
swear I'd like nothin' better'n to show
them wimmen how us fellers got them
plumes. But Lord, faint no manner er
use. They gotter look purity, and they's
yoin' to do 1t. Let the younguns starve
70 death"
The man behind the gun. the woman
behind the man and fashion the impel-
ing force and motive. Does it pay? Not
IN your life. Who can fathom fashion?
Now you've got me. 1t has been follow
ID more or less persistently since dear
Did mother Eve turned dressmaker and
good man Adam stuck a cOckerel's
leather in his head gear-whatever that
nay have been-and still the Elusive
spirit of fashion is as bewildering "A a
Hat with a capital Il. God
bless her. JOHN.