The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-09-17
STOP WRITER'S PEN
Many Gentle Distractions in
Summers Garden.
Some Reasons Why II Is Difficult to
Work Out Of Decentralization
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 is,
in reality. a COW shed converted by
Virginia creepers, side trellises. great
openings sawed in all four sides and
a small plaster cast OF a section OF
the Parthenon ~frieze, painted with
white enamel paint to resist the rain.
But | find it difficult to work out of
doors. ven in the summer There are
so many distractions. I am disturbed
necessarily by the tiny clamors OF lit
tie things, making their sweet, insidi-
GUS appeal for attention.
There is, for i~nstance-or, rather.
there has been-a ch~ick-a-dee's nest
on my summer house. in a box tackled
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
l came down to work.
! Then, after ] had settled down, and
had just got a paragraph well under
way. Mr.. Chick-a-dee would appe To-
with a worm or bug in his mouth
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 ava 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 he
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 give
a hop to the perch below the hole in
the box, transfer the food to the wait
her head out ready. and depart.
Another disturber Of my labors is
a bluebird whose family inhabits a
box in my :%.eighbor's yard, but who
prefers to hunt in mine. ! a never
resist watching the flash Of his blue
wings owe the flower beds. Still an
other disturber is a Baltimore oriole,
Ho feeds in the orchard. swallowing
down a bug or caterpillar and then
fairly dancing on a spray while he
emits a musical grace after meat.
Sometimes a yellow butterfly in
vades my privacy. fluttering across
my vision to attract attention. and
then winging in circles over the potato
field or the flower beds. l watch 1t in
its fight.
When l look back at my paper ar
ant Is crawling W. t.. The ant
makes me think of my young apple
trees set out this spring, for the ants
crawl up young apple trees and evi
IDENTIFY devour the green aphis on the
leaves. Have my new trees any
aphis? must get up and investigate
Yes, they have. l must get the hose
and spray them of.
Back at last at my table | am free
graph gets completed. Then | heal
a meadow lark or perhaps a Woo
thrush and. arrested by the sound
pause to listen, and my ear catchei
clearly the various noises Of the sum
mer day. which so often we hear with
out hearing. and would only be awar,
Of II they stopped altogether. T
sink back and just listen-to feel tn
touch Of the breeze on your cheek. t
watch the great. lazy. beautiful whit
|, cloud. to smell the warm scents Q
the garden-that is better than wori
ing!-Walter Prichard Eaton in tn
Philadelphia Evening Ledger.