Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-28
HYPOCRITES
BV John BreC,

| By John Brock
| TT WAS a gentleman Of great perspicacity
| I who pointed out to me that a large part
of the apparently incessant quarrelling
of the sparrows held no real rancor; often it
| is merely the determination Of the little lady
bird to convince her overenthusiastic lovers
that whatever she may eventually decide to
do she insists on Ler complete freedom Of
choice. A very proper pride for any bird.
In these soft airs the thoughts of more
than sparroWs are turned to love, even this
early in the year They are still rambling
about in their bachelor focks, but turning a
more observant eye on the coy sex than they
have since they tired Of their household dut-
les last autumn ] understood the point of
view Of a sage old blackbird who found some
stray ladies too distracting for several of his
flock Come along" he croaked, "I find
this grain is badly tarred; We'll find some
fresh grubs over behind that team" And he
tactfully removed TIE susceptible ones with
out allowing them time to Investigate.
For bird may not mate and raise it's
young, as a mammal can, at any season of the
year when the weather is endurable to it's
young. 1t must wait for the proper condi-
tons of insect life and the assurance of a
continued normal food supply from the vege-
table world For larval are the milk of the
feathered folk, unless you except the fishing
birds, and of these { have seen gulls follow
ing the plough like any crow. The sandy
shore, too, abounds with luscious grubs. In
deed, I should hate 10 be called upon to insure
an ants honey-colored young against the
most vegetarian of birds. 1t would be a
poor risk.
Conceive my feelings, then, when I came
upon cloud of brown and rosy birds rollick-
ing in the lush heritage of fresh-water marsh.
Here were those gay finches, diOnysian
| creatures who seem to have had their heads
! dipped in wine and allowed to drain off on to
their breasts and shoulders; so STEPPED in it
q Snirit off inf hoir
And heTe-was it not their sparrow colored
| loves who made a foil for them? This was
an orgy, bacchanali&n reyel! Little dusky
| feathers, pecring bright eyed from the green
| dropping fountain OF a slenderleaved grass
gOu do we'll to hide" ] said.
Out came my bird, a veritabe sparrow,
after all, and gave me proof Of his sex by a
strain of song. He merely wore the same
white stripes on his head as the lady fnches.
But I was determined to be puritanical. I
| told him his sex was no excuse for the
company he kept, for do not tolerate this
double standard of morality.
Well, he seemed as prim as myself, tidied
his feathers and firted a scandalized tail at a
finch cavalier who staggered up trolling the
opening catch to d love song in much the
same spirit, I suppose, as we unthinkingly
echo the saccharne sentiment of the latest
popular melody. TIE bird he addressed it to
bridled and remarked "You silly thing!" or
something of the sort.
Now I told that sparrow, 1--WE will see
how the real bird Circe goes about her bust
ness She'll lead him on and then"
But do you knOw-that Circe wasn't a
finch, either. She was golden crowned
sparrow, and cock sparrow to boot This
was just perfectly proper stag party of
sparrows and finches and the Lord only
knows how many more killing time and get
ting in voice for the big season.
But, even if it Were not, what business had
either of us to be critical? For the curiosity
which, holds our interest to thing we can
not consciously approve is merely hypo-
critical way of sharing it at second hand