Evening star., 1948-07-20
This and That
By Charles +. TracetoeH

Sparrow means futterer, an action not con-
fined to these birds.
Nineteen species of sparrows come to this
vicinity.
detractors are legion, but whose friends are
persistent.
There is many an honest friend OF birds who
If you get inside his guard, will admit that
not even his cardinals and mockingbirds please
him more.
He may not proclaim this from the housetops
After all. there is snobbery in bird watching
as in everything else.
Get to know him well, however. and he will
confess to real liking for English sparrows.
And, as the song says, he will be far from
wrong.
This is weaver bird, to some; sparrow,
esting friend to many.
One writer of good book on birds admit.
ted that the best bird she ever had was q
female English sparrow And in her situation
she had many score species, most of which she
banded
She knew birds, as it is given to few persons
to know them.
Therefore, when she spoke in favor Of this
sparrow, which by beauty and deeds had quite
won her heart, she gave an honest directive
which others might follow with proi,t.
AhSlS WoS uyAAA& SPalIOW al BIASS.
Picked up and held for time, 1t lay over on
its side, breathing slowly.
What beautiful thing 1t was, honestly re-
garded!
Similarly had been held, from time to time
a blue-gray warbler, downy woodpecker q
cardinal, a jay.
The sparrow equaled those more colorful
ones.
Truly beautiful bird
Those who grow red in the face over SPAR
rows ought to spend little time trying to like
them.
amazing what little time will do; If one per-
sists in watching, more often than not ad-
miration overcomes dislike
This is because into all of these forms of life
:. the Creator has put something good. We do
not stop to speak of it every time we see
bird, but when we try to find out what makes
their charm, we find just one thing, in addi-
ton to their beauty, grace and ability to fly
Their essential goodness.
1t is not fashionable any more to talk about
goodness. except in the pulpit; no doubt the
world would be better Of If we did speak Of
plain. old-fashioned goodness more.
The birds are good, in fine way. They live
their lives. in the main, letting other things
live. Their hawks and owls are rather by way
of emphasis of their overall, general goodness
than anything else. Bird habits are fixed, 1t
may be said, and the fixing comes down
through the centuries unchanged. This means
that the Fixer was good, to begin with, and
the results are good, to end with.
This is the essential Goodness of the uni
verse. At times. all of us tend to forget about
this great goodness We read and hear about
evil men doing evil things; we are bombarded
day and night by the clamor of disaster; we
cry havoc around the world, and tend to
believe there is nothing good left.
The essential Goodness Is still there, behind
the smoke and flame. 1t will be there after
slyness has done its work.
This is the goodness the birds stand for In
peculiar way. And when we think of 1t, we
see very easily, that the common sparrow
stand for it. exemplines it. folds it in his
wings as well as far brighter birds.
This is the main reason why the true bird
lover will not speak harshly of the English
sparrow, but will realize that it is q bird, as
well as any. and will treat 1t as one Of Gods
messengers in an evil day. The flood Is close
at hand This time 1t will not be dove, but
common sparrow, and 1t will not come to US On
q mountain top. but right In our own back
yard