Year: 1871




gree the power of kindness, was writer


by the owner to female friend; and tina


friend, as we think, very properly, has fur


nished copy for publication. All whC


attended the last meeting of the American


Pathological Convention, held in Phila


delphia, will remember the wonderful col


lection of fruits, aud especially will they


remember the remarkable exhibition o


grapes, from the fruit establishment o


Hetty B. Trimhle, of West Chester, Penn


sylvania. To that lady we are indebted


for the story of this little sparrow-he


pet Bessie.


1t is well known by others as well a


ornithologisCs that female birds will re


turn year after year to the same home


but has it ever been proved before that thI


same couple of birds remain true to eaci


other as long as both do live? Or has i


ever been known before that both the IN


stinct for migration and the affection TO


mate and little ones have been overborRs


by an attachment to a human friend?


Those familiar with the Song Sparrow


(Fringilla Melodia) will recognize it a


once in Miss Trimble's account. We be


gin to hear it now (early in March)-tht


first of the singing birds of spring. The
note is short one, but exquisitely beauti
ful-exceeded only by the melody of the
wood robin. Sometimes they are so nu
merous about country gardens that in the
early mornings there will be perfect
ground-swell of melody-probably one oi
the sweetest sounds this side the stars.


81 am no ornithologist; but l suppose
my little pet was song sparrow-a little
bird of very Quaker-like plumage-shades
of brown and gray, but as trig and neat as
any little bird could well be.


"The winter of 1859 was very cold. A
young friend who was then living with us
was coming home one evening, and found
his little bird lying on a snowdrift, appar-
emily frozen to death; but, holding it in
his hands few moments, found there was
a little fiuttering motion Of the heart. He
ran up stairs to the parlor register, and by
warmth and kindness brought it to. 1t
was some days, however, before she re-
covered entirely. She was then turned
loose in the conservatory, where she
seemed perfectly happy, darting in and
out among my flowers. At first, we heard
only timid, low notes from her; but as
she became accustomed to US, and knew
she had nothing to fear, there was often
one gush of melody after another.


"In the spring the birds began to re-
turn to their sumner homes-birds of her
own kind, as well as others; but she paid
no heed to them for some time. However,
one day we were startled by long, loud
cry from her, so unusual that every one
ran into the conservatory to see what had
happened. A little bird was on the out
side trying to get in. The window was
opened; she flew to meet him; and such
a Joyous meeting it was. The meeting of
human lovers after long separation could
not more plainly tell the story of affection.
Soon snow squall came up, and she was
too tender to breast it, and tapped at the
window to be taken in. She remained
very contentedly until the weather was
quite settled. Now came her trouble. He
wanted the nest to be built in cedar tree
some 200 feet from the house; she soOuld
not 90. He perched himself in tie
tree and sang his most charming
while she, on top of
the smOke-house, near the house, answered
him just as sweetly. But she would not
bulge from the position she had taken.
After the second days maueuvering, he
began to give in little by little approach
ing the house. Finally, they compromised
the matter by building the nest in goose
berry bush, near the smoke-house. This
was not to her mind; but still it was bet
ter than the far-off cedar tree.


"In time four pretty little brown birds
made their appearance. As soon as they
were out of the nest she coaxed them to
the house, where her feed table and bath
tub were always ready for her. Such
pretty, happy little family they wereI


"The next nest was just where she
wanted it-in a jasmine bush trained
around one of the parlor windows. From
this nest came three little birds.


"Her table and bath tubs were again
brought into the conservatory-the flowers
now being out of doors. The side sashes
were always open, and she brought all the
family to feed and bathe just as it pleased
her; and the glass doors into the parlor
being open, they would fly through the
house as if it was of out doors.


"Cold weather came once more, and the
mate and young birds disappeared; but
Bessie did not go. She tapped at the win
dow, and was again warmly welcomed to
her quarters amongst the flowers in the



Here she spent another gay, happy
winter; and it was constant source of
pleasure to us to watch her pretty, cum
ming ways, and listen to her sweet songs.


"In the next spring (1S5O Bessie's
owner moved way, and she fell into my
possession-a very welcome legacy.


Z" AS before, the birds returned in the
spring; but Bessie was quite Indifferent to
hem all. But one day, while we were at
he dinner table, we heard what seemed to
q lO11h wild of WITH
accord, all rushed upstairs to the conserv-
ltory; and there, sure enough, was the
mate again. This was repeated every
heard that peculiar, wild, joyous commo-
ion, we knew that her mate had come;
and, on going TO see, always found him
here.


"One year they raised three broods of
birds; and it was not an uncommon thing,
1t that time, to see the parent birds and
.he twelve young ones all feeding at the
same table-the youngest yet so young
Is to be fed by the old one.


This little pet was with us seven years.
We never doubted her identity; but a
;lipt feather and defective toe made this
IDENTITY unmistakable.


The same great joy was manifested to-
ward her mate at each annual return in
he spring; but the last one it seemed al
most beyond expression-it even attracted
he attention of the neighbors. l remem-
Der one day an uncle of mine called us to
ook at them. They would sing to each
)ther, bow their heads, flap their wings,
iy down on the ground, roll over and
,ver; in short, they acted as if they were
learly crazy with happiness. Two or
hree days alter this heard futter in
he conservatory; and, going to see what
vas the matter, found my little pet lying
n her feed basin, in spasm. took her
lp, stroked and patted her; and, as
he fit passed off, she nestled down in
ny hand, and turned her head up to look
t me. The bright eyes were swollen and
'loodshot. Soon she had another spasm,
nd another and another. Then her little
eet flew out, and soon she lay dead in my
and How it all comes back to me as /
vritel 1t seemed as if dear little pet
hid had been suddenly snatched from us
nd as to the poor little mate, anything
more heartbroken / never saw. There
vas no more dashing about through the
louse and out among the trees; no more
,ay songs; but, instead, he moped about,
With now and then little low wall, that
eemed more like weep" "weep" than
nything else. In the fall he went away
s usual; but we never saw him again to
now him.


Bessie's conduct toward me was often