Evening star., 1944-12-20
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce,DeH.

1t has been long time since this
column has said anything about the
cardinals, but that they are not for
gotten the reader may feel sure, There
are few finer birds than these, both the
male and female. Every winter garden
which has a pair is blessed, at least
in the bird sense.
Cardinals, or redbirds, as so many call
them, possess an immense quality of
cheer, not only through their colors, but
also because of their actions. The be-
havior of these birds fits in exactly with
the Christmas spirit.
No other song has its way of notify
ing the householder when the seed in
the feeding device is running low. Then
the cardinal flies around the house to
peer at any one coming in or out the
front door. Or he skins across the
yard to shrubbery near the back WIN
dows. There he sets up a peculiar cry,
sort of sharp, metallic chirp.
The female seldom joins in these
demonstrations. She is more reserved,
1t comes to eating she is right in at
the ringside. Even here she defers to
her lord and master. Few species show
this traditional attitude so well. The
male always eats first.
The yard is fortunate which has one
pair of cardinals.
What may be said then of the place
which enjoys the distinction of at least
eight pairs?
This does not always happen, seldom
more than one or two years at time.
Where so many come there is every
chance that every year, as long as
feeding Is continued, at least two or
three pairs will there spend their win
ter time. No songsters respond to good
treatment any better. The cardinals
seem to enter into the spirit of the
thing. They come to feeders placed on
apartment window sills in the city and
arrive early at the well-stocked station
In the suburban garden.
The observer will have to be I'D earlv
to catch their arrival. They are the first
of all birds to appear and the last to
leave. 1t is good habit to fill the
station just before dark, SO that the
cardinals may have it more or less to
themselves. They remain long after
dusk has come.
allowing the feeding station to become
empty along toward o'clock these win
ter afternoons. Then the common
sparrows and the squirrels which have
been in the crowd tend to fade away
into the trees, toward their sleeping
places.
This gives the cardinals the chance
they love. Not many birds give so plain
a manifestation of satisfaction as these
redbirds. They fly in with brilliance
on their wings. The male mostly, of
course; he is the brilliant one. The
female has sedate beauty which BELTS
her whole character. Many observers
feel that she is by far the prettier of
the two, despite the flash of her mate.
whose color shines against the winter
background, especially in snow.
The snowy background makes the
cardinals look very large. In truth they
are no small birds. Whiteness makes
them very dark, too
Surely these are things worth con-
sldering, even in such times as these.
Millions OF men and women are not
able to think of them, as they devote
their time to sterner things thrust upon
them by the madness of the human
mind. This is no reason why those
who are left should not keep true the
balance. These things, too, definitely
belong to the human mind. They stand
as sentinels OF the better life which
was before and which is to come, God
willing, after the fit of madness and
despair wears itself out. Love seems a
little thing, too, when it is devastated
by the crash and flare of q block
buster. When that comes, life and little
love go out the window, but still Eternal
Love stands behind all, smiling down
through the smoke and flames with pity
ana understanding and forgiveness for
ering humanity. Il