The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-09-18
STOP WRITER'S Pen
Many Gentle Distractions in
Summers Garden.
Some Reasons Why II Is Difficult to
Work Out Of Doors-Observation
of the Birds One of the
Greatest.

In summer | write every morning
in a summer house at the extreme
rear of my garden-a house which ls'
in reality, a cow shed converted oy
Virginia creepers, side trelllses' great
openings sawed in all four sides ana
small plaster cast OF section oi
the Parthenon frieze, painted WIN
white enamel paint to resist the rain.
But find it difficult to work out OF
doors, even in the summer. There are
so many distractions. | am disturbed
necessarily by the tiny clamors OF III
tie things, making their sweet. insioi
Gus appeal for attention.
There is. for instance-or. rather
there has been-a chick-a-dees nest
on my summer house, in a box tacked
there to attract the wrens. All my
life I have desired to have a chick-a-
dee's nest under observation. and this
year my wish was granted. Every
morning while Mrs. Chick-a-dee was
sitting on her eggs | saluted her when
/ came down to work.
Then, after | had settled down, and
had just got a paragraph well under
way. Mr.. Chick-a-dee would appear
with a worm or bug in his mouth to
feed her. and I would have to lay
down my pen to watch him. First he
would perch on a twig twenty or thir
ty feet away and. without dropping
the food from his mouth. say "chick-a
dee" two or three times softly-a pref
ty. wiry. tinkling sound. He never
on any occasion added the remaining
"dee-dee-dees" Of the familiar call
After repeating his announcement hi
would then fly to a strip of the trellis
beside the bird box, and sitting there
once more give his wiry little chick
a-dee." Then he would suddenly Civ
a hop to the perch below the hole IL
the box, transfer the food to the wait
ing bill Of his wife. who would hav,
her head out ready. and depart.
Another disturber of my labors 1
a bluebird whose family fnhabits
box in my eighbor's yard. but VIII
prefers to hunt in mine. ] can neve
resist watching the flash Of his blu
wings over the flower beds. Still ar
other disturber is a Baltimore oriole
Ho feeds in the orchard swallowin
down a bug or caterpillar and the
; fairly dancing on a spray while b
; emits a musical grace after meat.
, Sometimes a yellow butterfly IL
vades my privacy. fiuttering acros
| my vision to attract attention, an
: then winging IL circles over tn potat
2 field or the flower beds. l watch 1t
Z it's flight.
: When l look back at my paper a
, INT is crawling over it. The al
makes me think of my young app
trees set out this spring. for the an
= crawl up young apple trees and ev
} IDENTIFY devour the green aphis on II
leaves. Have my new trees ar
= aphis? must get up and investigat
Yes, they have. ! must get the hot
and spray them on.
Back at last at my table I am FRI
e to resume my work. and another par
y graph gets completed. Then ] he
n a meadow lark or perhaps a wo'
9 thrush and, arrested by the SCUM
q pause to listen, and my ear catch
@ clearly the various noises Of the SUI
r mer day. which so often we hear wit
e out hearing, and would only be ava
Is OF IL they stopped altogether.
j. sink back and just listen-to feel t
d touch Of the breeze on your cheek.
p watch the great. lazy, beautiful VIII
It cloud. to smell the warm scents
n. the garden-that is better than wo
h. ing!-Walter Prichard Eaton in
le Philadelphia Evening Ledger.