Evening star., 1944-11-02
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcepeN.
NEWTON STREET NE.

NEWTON STREET N E.
Dear Sir:
Il read with sympathy of the person
enjoying a feeding station and wishing
to keep out Sparrows and Starlings and
squirrels.
Il felt the same way until I started
putting out food for birds The mixed
seeds attracted so many kinds of SPAR
rows, vesper, fox. white -throated, as
we'll as English sparrows, l made new
bird friends and nothing looks more
plump and velvety than an English
sparrow perched on a small evergreen
From your column I was persuaded
to look for the comical struttings of the
lrldescent starlings They have Ger
tain routes they cover regularly all dav,
SO they Go not stay long anywhere until
nightfall
Il think this is bit early for white
throated SparrowS and juncos They
feed with sparrows in colder weather.
"As for sapsuckers know a beautiful
cedar grdled full length with deco
holes bored by a yellow -bellied sap
sucker. 1t is going to be hard to like
that breed. Sincerely, H. c."
Here We have the attitude of the true
nature lover
1t is one of mixed admiration and
appreciation, tempered with common
sense and real desire to make the
best of things.
TO such mind, the English sparroWs.
starllngs and squirrels all belong in
natures scheme of things, and it is
up to the observer to find their good
points.
This is at once challenge and an
inspiration. When this attitude comes
natural to one, or is achieved. 1t re-
suits in finding that nothing looks
more plump and velvety than an Eng
lish sparrow perched on an evergreen. 4"
Whatever disagreeable traits the bird
may have are brushed away to revea
its beauties
The struttings and coloration of the
starting are revealed to such an eve.
and the mind discovers that these big
blrdS cover certain routes regularly.
therefore they cannot be much of a
bother to any one.
The sapsucker is hard to like, but
one is evidently trying to like it. That
is the real point. 1t is going to he hard
to like the bird, but 1 am trying.
In this way, and in none otl.er, the
beauties Of all things are laid bare to
the seeing eye and understanding
heart.
The ancients had a belief in sigma
lures, as they called them; that is, that
tnere was an outward mark Of inner
qualities sort of signature put there
by God for our benefit, if only we ;. ould
read it rightly.
We mics ithaca ce;o,o4,,..y
II we concentrate only on the things
IN the natural creatures which rub us
the wrong way.
Today, more than ever. perhaps, we
must be on our guard against the too
easy ability OF finding fault with sny-
thng. The world so needs the different
attitude, that of trust in the ultimate
goodness OF all things, including man.
Even In our small gardens we may
nnd 1t in our hearts to find too much
1ault, to be too much displeased, to
groan and moan over the difficulties
of creation
There are good features, if we have
the time to find them Even men on
battlefields. in the hell of war. often
discover the good in man. Emotional
stress heightens their susceptibilities.
1t Is up to us who are not there to
be no less heroic in the little things of
the everyday. We must see to it that
not thing to be appreciated fails Of
It from U.s.
1t is possible to glow in inner tribute
to old bottles, tooth paste .ubes and
bits OF wood carved by cunning work.
man. The CLINT and precision of mighty
planes might well work a saint to
tears.
The birds which fly to us the year
around, If we feed them, are much more
In beauty and precision than tooth
paste tubes, old bottles or boxes. Let
US not shame our heritage by finding
f'pF with them.