Evening star., 1917-05-12

God bless the tender hearts who seek
To make refuge for the weak.
Sammy Jay followed Farmer Browns
Boy from the Old Orchard to the Green
Forest, from the Green Forest to the
Green Meadows, and from the Green
Meadows to the Old Pasture. In each
place Farmer Browns Boy put up one
Of those boards with the queer black
marks on it, which you know and l
know were signs. Sammy inspected
each one carefully and all the time his
shrewd little brain was trying to puzzle
out what they meant. If Sammy could
only have read them he might have had
| The finest bit of news to tell that ever
he couldn't read. SO finally he gave up.
:ery much puzzled but right down in
lis heart sure that they meant some
thing good.
And those signs did mean something
good. They meant something splendid.
fhis is what Farmer Browns Boy had
printed on each sign:
THIS FARM IS A BIRD SANCTUARY.
Hunting on This Land Is Forbidden.
No Gunners nor Hunters for Nest and
EGGS Allowed on This Property.
FARMER BROWNS BOY.
Sanctuary is big word, but it's mean
ing is even bigger. 1t means a place
IF safety. 1t means a place to which
those in danger can go and know that
there they viii be safe and need no
longer worry. So bird sanctuary is
simply a place of safety for the birds.
That is what Farmer Browns Boy had
made of the farm where he lives by
putting up those signs.
You see, it is like this" he ex-
planned to Farmer Brown. Birds know
L whole lot. or course. they can't read
those signs, but it won't take them
long to find out that when they are on
our land they won't have anything to
sear from men and boys. They'll just
move right over here to build their
nests. That is, those who are not lfv-
ing here now will. And those passing
this way on their way south in the fall
and on their way back north in the
spring will stop over here. They'll
know after while that they are safe
here. And, more than that, they will
know that they can get plenty to eat
there is always food Tor them. I've put
up houses for the birds that like
houses. and l am going to make and
put up lot more. I'm going to keep
fresh water always where the birds
can get it in the Old Orchard. I'm go
ing to make this old farm the jimdan-
iiest place for birds that ever was"
Farmer Browns Boys eyes were
shining. Farmer Brown laughed and
it was good to hear, was that laugh.
cost you lot of work said he. What
do you expect to get in return
1t was Farmer Browns Boys turn
to laugh Il expect to get paid for it
ALL" said he. Il expect to get paid in
pleasure-the pleasure of hearing the
birds sing and call and twitter; the
pleasure OF seeing them about and
watching them: the pleasure of know
ing I have done a good deed, and
expect to get paid III dollars and cents.
Yes, sir. that's what I expect. We are
going to have the finest farm Anywhere
around here just because of the birds.
I've watched 'em and | know. The mora
birds we have the less work I'll have
to do fighting those pesky bugs aud
worms and hoeing out weeds.
watched Little Friend the Song Spar
row one day and he ate over 100 weed
seeds in less than five minutes. and L
saw Welcome Robin down in the gar
den pulling out cutworms at a great
rate. They'll pay for all / do for
them, and pay a good many times
over"
Farmer Brown smiled Il guess you
are right, son. said he And I'm glad
you've found it out for yourself. Per
haps you can induce some of our neigh
bors to make SO fuaries on their
farms" R
Browns Boy.