Evening star., 1924-07-06

\
icled to show its @
clean bill of - W
h ca tn. And
sometimes a SPAR |
row hops around on the window sill |
outside the screen
If there was a wonder spot where |
Gagged bird might be freed to happy |
safety, the foster mother would pay |
but as things are, when it's lonely |
day nearS to dusk, the tiny creature |
cuddles up to the bars that are clos |
est to the come-home woman while |
she tells him bedtime stories. Maybe |
he senses. somehow, the tenderness |
in the voice, and then again, remem-
bering the accomplishment of that |
certain little bird" of gossip. he may |
the olive branch-and the birds of
the Saint of Assisi-and the robins |
that spread leaves over the babes in
the woodruff never the secret of
might make him afraid of the outside
sparrows-all of which is nonsense.
but, anyhow, everything was lovely
until in February the bird began to
shed the downy yellow on it's breast.
The woman bought a government
bulletin to find out why. 1t wasn't
definite enough. so she consulted a
bird authority to learn that 1t was
natural proceeding: The bird wanted
companionship and was picking feathers
to line future nest-and would all
right in a month.
This was startling. but satisfac
tory, except that it seemed sort of
pathetic to set up a hope chest that
was never to be needed-so the
woman waited, only to find that, ex
cept for its tail and wing feathers,
1t is now as bare as Handy Andy's
turkey-almost. Being anxious she
naturally solicited information and
reaped this harvest of advice:
You shouldn't give him lettuce
Ia lsa II
give mine more than one leaf week"
Goodness, is one leaf day all
you give him? Why, my finch goboies
don't wonder the poor little thing
picks at his feathers! He's starved.
"I'n tell you what's wrong, my
dear. You shouldn't renew his fresh
water in the afternoon. 1t makes
him drink too much for comfort, and
he picks at his feathers like we get
rid of tight clothes
II know exactly what's the matter
with that bird. It's born dope
fend My husband knew bird in
the Army that picked his feathers so
that he could feed on his own blood.
A cannibal canary was something
SO appallingly unexpected that the
foster mother got to fearing the zoo
might come around with kidnapping
intentions. but she needn't have wor-
red. There is a nice neighbor who
offered to take him home and rub
lard and sulphur on the little body
in case it was troubled with what
the war boys used to call cootles-
This threatened bar-sinister on her
escutcheon stepped the foster mother
in properest horror, but 1t was oniS
another false alarm. lnvestlgation
proved that she had kept the bird
ha1
tated his flesh. and when he scratched
il the feathers, being soft from con-
slant soakings, dropped out. she
would keep him from his tub during
castor oil and he would soon be all
right-unless he died of pneumonia.
And the foster mother, deferrlng
to superior wisdom. walts-ano hopes
The world knows about the pathos
of an empty cradle, but, also, tnere
NAV be love-bereft souls that grieVe
over an empty cage.
1t all depends.
CHE was a tawdry young person IN
- pink organdie, badly laundereo'
hut her hair was shingled with cute
rakishness and every line and mo-
tion of her was of the youth that
GUNS the world-or thinks 1t ougnt
m And she was at d lunch tapie
drinking pop from d sta" In 'he oo'.
tie. to help out with a snack that
some. doubtless, mother had put up
in paper bag. A girl OF dlnefehe
nattern-neat and plain-dranK MIX
vith her crackers and dried prunes.
"Ior. Name, haven't you got no
Forther July date at-all? Why, I've
turned down two because Eddie
Smith got abe ad of 'em-an even now
i may throw him over. II ne comes ;s
a-flivverin' after me il that tin OF ms
i as good as toid a., hi:n IN w w'u,Th un, IL :
he can't take a hint and rent sump'n
swell, Tommie can have the iast
chance of takin' me on the moon
but I'm not goin' to waste my, good
old Fourth on fella that can't play
up to my style"
The girl who had no hope of being
invited to celebrate listened d W,th h1ve re
been appealing, except that 1t was
funny, seeing how 1t AIDED fuel to
the others boasting:
"I cert'ny am sorry you got no
date. Mame-an' that remines meas
long as you're goin' 10 stay nome,
lemme your new sweater, won't you
1t might chill up towards night: ami
haven't SOC d wrap W my hohiS' Thh~
SO on until the last crumb was gone:
Braggadocio is a coat of many col
ors that may be worn by the coatless
so long as faith will listen.
4 X
A COLLECTOR who will go to
"A heaven, because of the proviso
that Judges us according to our lights
came into an ONCE where another
woman was working at desk. She
brought with her a card and small
tin hank. and the two authorized her
to canvass for q charity SO worthy
that practically all will want to help
The desk woman's handbag held
only a yellow back bill. some tokens
q Canadian dime with a hole In II
(story in that dime) and eleven rec
cents. She emptied ner output
before the collector and told her she
would have to come some luckier
day. but, meantime. there were the
eleven red cents. The Vlsitor was
polite but adamant:
Il don't take pennies, thank you
they are really no good, you know
because they take up so much room
and weigh so heavily"
The desk woman asked II 1t were
Just a personal objection or was the
rule a general one!
why, a penny doesn't amount to
anything, in my work-and you know
that churches don't want such small
stuff in the poor boxes. You see