The Washington herald., 1913-03-19
EVERY EGRET MEANS
DYING HERON
Ornament So Prized by Woman Costs
Life Of Mother and Starvation
Of Her Young.

Awhile ago one of the girl members
of the Nature Study Club of the Girls
High School in Philadelphia read a paper
prepared by teacher, an officer of the
club.
In pathetically simple language it told
| all about the tragedy of the snow-white
| heron, the mother-bird killed on the
| nest. the birdlings left to starve. And
| over the platform where the young
| speaker stood hung a picture of a dying
heron, flung aside after the ruthless
hunter had torn out the beautifuI plum
age sought for the springtime market.
} The picture bore the legend: "Remem-
| ber that every egret means dying heron
| and the death of her little BIRDS
/ Most of girls are right tender of heart
| and very susceptible to influence when
| the true brand is at work, and as they
looked. listened, then thought it all over
\ and talked it out. they became so stirred
by the wanton sacrifice OF the exquisite
| nuptial plumage, just for a bit of adorn-
ment, that they prepared a petition to
| the State Senate in favor of the bill
| pending in that body prohibiting the
sale of the plumage Of the snowy
| heron.
And they went further than that, for
| they vowed that never would they wear
an egret themselves and that they would
not TO wear them. They hope TO secure
signatures from every one of the sew
eral thousand girls and the members OF
| the faculty of the school, and whether
the bill becomes a law or not, there will
be a mighty law written in the hearts of
| those girls, a law which most Of them
will be certain to obey.
If Schoolgirls Were Told.
The fact is. many of our laws would
be unnecessary, many more would have
their burdensome features removed. II
folk better understood the spirit back of
them and the hardships they were
sought to relieve.
Perhaps our public schools are not
designed to give training IN morals, in
ethics and the like. but can't you guess
what would have been the effect if all
over the country schoolgirls had been
given nice little heart-to-heart talAs on
the fate of the beautiful white heron as
4 sacrifice to-a pretty hat? 1t is not
at all likely that the exquisite bird
would have paid so sad price for the
grace of its wonderful plumage if girls
just budding into thoughtful woman
hood had been familiar with the tragic
side of the pretty hat. Because, while
appeals have gone forth broadcast. and,
perforCe. laws have taken their place.
the seeming Indifference has been quite
~, pitiful part the bird has been forced
TO play for the sake Of GracinS the fem
inine head.
II they had been told that the eGret
SO priced IN the woman world, was the
most beautiful hit of the mother birds
wedding dress, they never would have
sanctioned the despoiling. for girls are
not SO pItiless that. They grow to
womanhood without getting very close
to Nature and Natures wonderful Wild
lings. and when the soft, noddinG plum
age is temptingly arrayed before them
they think of themselves and their
adornment-not once of the hapless bird,
and the poor little nestlings whose fate
rs tragic enough.
Considerate at Heart.
And boys
II somehow their hearts could be
reached first, they would not be so
proud Of their craftsmanship when they
viewed the little sonsster with shattered
wing. or maybe a dead bird brought low
by the little Instruments of torture they
call sling shots" Boys at heart are
ConsideTate and loving, and If they could
follow the tragedies home they might
fling the ugly little things away. and.
like the high school girls, pledge them
selves to something manlicr and far
more worthy of their boyish mettle.
[ never knew just what had happen
ed. who the Culprit was or what the
consequences, but last year. as the sea-
sons were changing and before the pro-
tecting leaves had spread their new
mantle over the trees, a couple of boys
were seen walking along with heads
hanging pretty low. In the hand of one
of them was the familiar ''sing-shot'
enemy of the feathered tribe, and faint
ly struggling in the outstretched hand
of the other was the tiny form of a
wounded bird. The sight of the blood
and the spectacle of helplessness must
have subdued their hunter-spirits. for
they did not seem to rejoice at all in
the havoc that somebody had wrought
it was fairly easy to guess who it might
have been. For they ruefully looked at
the tree, then pitifully turned to the
quivering bird.
did not know-but l hoped that the