Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-18
Cleaned from Foreign Ex.
 changes

For smartness the following will be very hard to beat. A well known per ceived a cable from his soldier son in Mesopotamia which contained only three words. Two John twelve"
 At first the receiver was hafded by the mysterious message. but after much puzzling the meaning dawned upon him. Taking down his Bible, he turned up the Second Epistle of St. John and read the twelfth verse, which runs as follows: Having many things to write unto you I would not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full"
 His son was on his way home!
 There has already appeared in the market Victory wallpaper. but it was reserved for Bridgenorth in Shropshire to weave a Victory carpet. This is now displayed in a window in London. The need for a plethora of symbolism would have destroyed tone would have thoughD any chance of achieving artistic success. But this has not proved to be the case.
 The carpet in question. although a maze of doves and olive branches. arms and flags. roses, thisties and shamrock, is really beautiful in color and design. and a not too observant person could walk across it without so much being reminded of the war.
 We pulled up to about mile above Huntingdon, on the leisurely Ouse. and there, mooring the boat to branch of willow that lay awash, we settled to happy indolence, looking at the broad meadows, golden with kingcups and to distinguish the varied bird notes that showered around us.
 Presently, round a bend of the river, came two swans, soaring majestically. As they swept past paying not the slightest heed to us, my companion said:
 well, never saw that before Nor had I. for the wings of one of the birds were half raised from the body. and under them was a little family of cyg- nets, a mass of gray fiuffiness, with here and there the sharp giint of an eye
 Funny" I said. that neither of us has seen that before. I've watched swans in all manner of places" And quoted:
 "so doth the swan her downy cygnets Keeping them prisoner underneath her
 wings"
 And then there came into my mind the lines from Meredith's Modern Love:"
 Where I have seen across the twi- The swan sail with her young beneath
 her wings
 "Ah,'' said my companion. lighting his pipe. funny how those poetry chaps get hold of things!'
 The two swans were white specks down the next reach.
 Fears are expressed that the Dart ford warbler is disappearing. It is the only British warbler which never mi grates, and scientific ornithologists gleefuly assert that this pretty bird is doomed to extinction for violating the laws of nature. It is. however. still fairly common on the Sussex Downs where shepherds cali it the French blackbird--and seems to be spreading westward, for it has been reported during recent years from Devon and Cornwall.
 No doubt many nests are destroyed by the gorse- burning which takes place on commons and downs every spring; but the Dartford warbler is a very late as well as a very early nest CT, and fiedglings have been found in August.
 St. Nicholas, Deptford, where Sir F Henson has unveiled a memorial tc "Marlowe of the mighty line,'' possess es many literary. naval and historic associations, and is we'll worth a visit It was the parish church of John Eve | lyn, and of his eccentric tenant, Peter