Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-28
OUR BOYS
and GIRLS
LESSON FROM A GULL

While btru thai Ines out Utef The
water and lAag II Is never aJtisiien
10 be Ions On land
But Philip. for that VAS the boys
nsme. concluded that the bird should
be taught 10 stay at home 80 he tIod
sIlias 10 It's les ana The eEd Of tle
spring he tied 10 the beIpost The
'sail looked sick and soff, as II SET
lied Gown under the bed, but thilliI
eaMe To IL and demanded that Al
stand up.
We are going TO make a civilized
bird out Of you he said. one thai
viii stay at home and live III nests
like the birds OF the woods and fields.
There is no sense in staying ont on
the water so much OF your time in
fact, it is waste OF lime and il you
stayed on land you would not only
make yourself more agreeable 10 etllt
els, but you would fad il would pay.
Worms are easy 10 find, ii you get
up early enough IN the morning, and
then you can be much mose c0mior-
table and warmer On land.
The bird never said word. but
hung It's head and looked daJaetcd
Maybe il Is too warm in this
room,' said Philip. aud 50 he opened
the window The bird looked at the
window and shifted the fresh AT m
the way chat birds sniff. by 0penins
It's mouth ana seemln@ to swallow,
but tie cruel string on its leg would
not let it move Then it began peek
ing At tha slring when Philip Was not
looking. aud agter awhile it had WON
thru. but PHILIP sal IN the room aud
the gull mace no move.
Then Philip s'eppta out OF tie
door and. quick as flash. the gull
was ON the window sill. and Philip
came into the room just in time 70 sec
it whul up into the arr and start on
IN Ions spirals toward the lake. Just
as tho ii were an airshlp showing of
us stunts. The fact OF the matter
Was that the srn2 stu chung to It's
les and, altho it did not prcyent It's
fying, it made it lly in a one .ided
way but never did it stop m'il il
was on q rock, tar away itoA the
town oil Good Intent,
Oh, the glory OF that nee, clean,
smooth rock, after the atuliuess oi
the house IN witch rtilIp lived. The
gun could not express ltsell, but il
swallowed great mouthtus Of an as
tho 10 rid itself OF ali that 1t had
been thrh.
There was the clean rock, \ ship
out AL sea, The long lse Of The gold
eli light OF the setting sun over the
water, everything that u gull loved,
and why 81 aid il mol BE- happ even
ii bit OF strin' daneld llont is
leg?
Bat Philip was iuconaolabtc. His
father promised 10 buy him !, parrot,
but he said here would he 40 ian in
teaching-.A parrot 10 talk az al pa
rots TAXED. but he had thought 10
teach gull 10 forsake its Wild lie
and live nice and comfortable In I
town house, and that would have
been worth while.
What is worth whiie?" said a
voice al his elbow, as he lay on lis
bed ewing about the lost gull.
who are your asked Philip.
who am L." answered the voice.
"well, like that. | am you Other
self"
Have got Two selves
"Of course you have. Every one
has"
You look furry and funny Philip
said. you can't fool me. | never
came in contact with you before"
Il may be furry, but am not
funny" said the little creature, that
looked up at Philip. Il AIN your BET.
ter self. but YOU are noE very well
acquainted with me.
why my better self?" asked Philip.
Because | suggest all the unselfish
thoughts that you have and Try 10 per
suade you to put other peoples ieel-
inss before your own. | do not often
succeed, but | think that as you
grow older we shall know one another
better"
Did you suggest that l capture the
gull?"
Indeed | did not. Why should
suggest that you try TO make u free,
white, beautiful gull into domestic
bird, that would prefer 10 pack away
In the bush TO flying into the face
Of the SUM-?
That's it," said Philip. II is dan
xerous TO fly in the face of the sun
and my idea was TO make it safe for
the gull, to change its nature until it
would love to be a domestic bird, rs
you call it.
Il have an idea,' said the little fur
~ creature, that you thought ltss OF
the comfort OF the bird tnan OF your
avn success in making a convert of
It, You wanted to hear the people
say, Philip took wild gull and made
\ barnyard bird of it, and you did
not SO much care what the bird would
miss by ceasing to be itself.
"But if it forgot about it and
thought only as land birds think,
where was the HARM
1T would never think as land birds
think goodness gracious, what is
that
There was a big splash against
the window pane from above and
then something fell to the window sill.
IF il isn't the gull returned" said