"Well," said Jenny Sparrow one fine day in April, as she fluttered
from bough to bough in a maple tree near my study-window, "spring is
advancing and already the housewives are bustling about busy from
morning till night. Such fetching and carrying of grass and straw and
feathers! Mamma concluded to build a new house this spring but papa
said the old homestead would do, with new furnishings. Papa always
has his way; he's such a tyrant. I'm a fortunate creature that I have
no such cares, I'm sure. Mamma says I may as well sing and fly high
while youth and beauty last, for my troubles will begin soon enough.
Troubles! The idea of my having trouble! Old people must croak, I
suppose, and would really be disappointed if their children failed to
experience the trials they have.
"I often wonder if papa strutted and bowed and swelled himself out as
my suitors do, when he courted mamma. Now he does nothing but scold,
and I never make an unusually fine toilet but he shakes his head,
and lectures mamma on the sin of idleness and vanity. I'm not vain,
I'm sure. I only feel strong and happy, and when I'm challenged by a
neighbor's sons and their ugly sisters for a long flight or graceful
curve, I would be a silly creature indeed if I didn't display my
accomplishments to good advantage.
"There, now, is the son of our nearest neighbor twittering on that
roof opposite and trying to attract my attention. He prides himself
on being a direct descendant of one of the sparrows first imported
into this country from England, so we call him Mr. Britisher. He has
the most affected way of turning his head on one side and glancing at
me. I can't help admiring his engaging manners, though, and there is
a certain boldness in his address which the rest of my admirers lack,
much to their disadvantage. He's going to fly over here presently, I
know by the way he is strutting about and fluttering his wings. Talk
about the vanity of my sex! Gracious! He is priding himself now on the
manner in which his toes turn out, and the beauty of his plumage, and
how much broader is that black ring about his throat than those on some
of his neighbors. Here he comes. I'll pretend to be looking another way.
"Ah, is that you, Mr. Britisher? How you startled me. Yes, 'tis a
lovely day. After the storms of winter, the warm sunshine is a blessing
to us little creatures who live under the eaves."
"True, Miss Jenny, true. But with companionship even the storms of
winter can be borne cheerfully. Don't you agree with me that a loving
home is a very desirable thing?"
"Oh, Mr. Britisher, how you talk! Have your parents been away from
home, that you are so lonesome?"
"You know they have not, Miss Jenny. You know full well that I was
not speaking of _that_ kind of companionship. Permit me to sit beside
you on that bough, for I have that to say which I desire shall not be
overheard. The leaves even seem to have ears at this season of the
year, and do a deal of whispering about the numerous courtships which
they hear and see going on."
"True, very true, Mr. Britisher," returned Miss Jenny, making room for
him beside her on the limb. "There is a great amount of gossip going
on just now in bird-land, I understand. Why, only the other day I
heard--but ah--there is Mrs. Cowbird skulking below us, and no meaner
bird flies, I think, than she. Fancy her laying her eggs in another
bird's nest, because she is too lazy to make one of her own! A tramp
bird must do a great deal of gossiping, so be careful what you say."
"She is not nearly such a mischief-maker as Mr. Blue Jay," replied
Mr. Britisher, "nor half so impertinent. I heard him chattering with
Mr. Blackbird the other day and he said all sparrows were alike to
him. Fancy it! A field sparrow, vesper sparrow, swamp sparrow,
white-throated sparrow, yellow-winged sparrow, fox sparrow, and dear
knows how many other common American sparrows, the same to him as a
blue-blooded English one. Why, my ancestors lived under the roof of
Windsor Castle, and flew over the head of Queen Victoria many, many a
time."
"You don't say?" returned Miss Jenny, very much impressed. "Why, you
are a member of the royal family, you may say. Our family, I have heard
mother tell, always made their home in the city--London proper, you
know, right under the eaves of the Bank of England. But come, that is
not what you flew over here to say, surely," demurely casting her eyes
upon the ground.
"How charmingly you coquette with me," said Mr. Britisher, moving
closer to her on the limb. "Have you not seen for weeks past that I
have had no thoughts for any girl-sparrow but you, Miss Jenny?"
"La, Mr. Britisher, I really have had so much attention from your sex
this spring that I----"
"But none of them have been so devoted as I," interrupted her
companion. "Think of the many delicious morsels I have laid at your
feet, and all I ask in return is----"
"What?" coyly asked Miss Jenny, pretending she was about to fly away.
"This little hand," stooping and pecking her dainty claws with his
bill. "Will you be my wife, Miss Jenny, the queen of my heart and home?"
"The queen of your heart and home," repeated Miss Jenny. "That sounds
very nice, indeed. But when one gets married, my mamma says, then one's
troubles begin."
"No, no, my dear one. Your husband will hold it his dearest privilege
to guard you from every care. Life will be one long dream of bliss for
us both. Say you will be mine."
"Well, I suppose I may as well say yes. Mamma says girls must be
settled in life some time, and I am sure I fancy you infinitely
more than any of the young sparrows hereabouts. So you can ask papa
and--there, there! You will twist my bill off, and Mr. Woodpecker over
there, I am sure is watching us. Really you put me in such a flutter
with your fervor. There, you naughty boy; you mustn't any more. My! I
am so nervous. I'll fly home now and quiet my nerves with a nap. I'm
off. By-by."
The courtship was brief, as is the custom with our feathered friends,
and so the wedding took place in a few days. The bride received
the blessing of her parents for a dot and the groom a shrug of the
shoulders and the comforting assurance from his father that he was a
"ninny" and not aware when he was well off.
All went merry as a marriage bell for a season, Mr. Britisher
twittering daily in soft low tones his prettiest love songs and his
spouse listening in proud complacency as she oiled her feathers and
curled them prettily with her bill.
"O," she said one day, when making a call upon a neighbor, "I'm quite
the happiest creature in the world. _Such_ a husband, and how he dotes
on me! I had no idea I was such a piece of perfection, really. I wish
all my friends were as well and happily mated. Those who have no such
prospects are to be pitied indeed. Ah! you needn't bridle that way,
Miss Brownie, for I had no particular individual in mind when I made
that remark, believe me. Well, I must cut my visit short, for hubby
will be looking for me, and he grows so impatient when I am out of
his sight a moment. By-by. Run in and see us, do, all of you. We are
stopping, you know, with papa and mamma for awhile."
"Did you ever see such a vain, silly thing?" said the mother of a large
brood of very homely sparrows. "If my girls had no more sense than she,
I'd strip every feather off 'em and keep 'em at home, I would!"
"She makes me sick," said a pert young thing in the group.
"_Perfection_ indeed! Why, when she laughs I'm always uneasy for fear
her face will disappear down her throat. Such a mouth!"
"Hubby," mimicked another, "I thought I should collapse when she said
that with her sickening simper."
"Well, well," smilingly said an old mother sparrow, "she'll sing
another song before long. I predict she'll be a shiftless sort of a
thing when it comes to housekeeping. Mr. Britisher will repent him of
his bargain ere many days, mark my words! Dearie," turning to her only
daughter, "sing that dear little note you learned of Mr. Lark for the
company. Thank heaven," stroking her darling's ugly feathers, "I have
my precious child still with me. She is not in a hurry to leave her
poor mamma, is she?"
Many sly winks and smiles were exchanged among the matron's friends at
this remark, for "dearie" had chirped that little note many summers and
winters, and many a snare had mother and daughter set to entrap the
sons of more than one lady sparrow there.
"My dear," said Mr. Britisher the very next morning, "we must begin to
build a nest and make a home like other people. I think we may as well
begin to-day."
"Build our nest?" responded Mrs. B. "Well, do as you think best, my
dear. I intend to make a few calls to-day, so you may as well employ
your time whilst I am away. I presume some of your folks will help you."
"I suppose nothing of the sort," replied Mr. B., curtly. "Do you think
you are to do nothing but make calls from morning till night? I chose
you for a helpmate, madam, and not a figurehead, let me tell you, and
the sooner you settle down to your duties the better it will be for us
both."
"Duties?" retorted Mrs. B., "the idea! Who was it that promised me that
if I would marry him I should not have a care in the world?"
"Oh, all lovers say such things," replied Mr. B., with a contemptuous
laugh. "They expect their lady-loves to have better sense than to
believe them."
"Better sense than to believe them!" repeated Mrs. B., angrily. "So you
admit your sex are all gay deceivers, do you? Oh, dear," tears coursing
down her pretty feathered cheeks, "that I should be brought to this!
Woe is me, woe is me!"
Mr. Britisher immediately flew to her side, and by caresses and fond
words endeavored to tranquillize his spouse, for what husband can look
upon the first tears of his bride and not upbraid himself for bringing
a cloud over the heaven of her smiles?
Mrs. B. flew and hopped about with her wonted gaiety the remainder
of the day, whilst Mr. B.'s preoccupation and downcast air was the
cause of much comment and many wise "I told you so's," among the old
lady-birds of the neighborhood.
The subject of nest-building was, of course, next day resumed; but Mrs.
B. proved as indifferent and indisposed to participate in the labor as
ever.
"Very well," said Mr. B., at last, resolutely disregarding her tears,
"you will do as other wives do or else return to your mother. When a
sparrow marries he expects his mate to do her share in making a home,
and rearing a family. There is something to do in this world, madame,
besides rollicking, singing, and visiting from post to pillar. Indeed,
it is a wild scramble we have to make for a living, and you can no
longer expect me to be furnishing you with tid-bits and insects out of
season, while you gossip and idle your time away. You will have to-day
to decide upon the matter," and off Mr. Britisher flew, with a heavy
frown upon his face.
"Oh! I wish I had never been born," wailed Mrs. B., as the gentle wind
stirred the leaves and swayed the branch upon which she was perched.
"Already I begin to experience the troubles which old folks talk about.
Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I'll fly over to mother and tell her how shamefully
Mr. B. is treating me. I won't stand it, there! Gracious! there is
that meddlesome Mr. Blue Jay sneaking around as usual. He has heard me
sobbing, I'm afraid, and all the neighbors will be gossiping before
night of our affairs. There! how cheerily I sang when I flew off! He
will think my sobs were a new song, perhaps. To think that I should be
making believe I'm happy already. Happy! I shall never be happy again.
My heart is broken. Mother will give Mr. Britisher a piece of her mind,
I hope, and let him know I was never brought up to work, much less to
be any man's slave."
(_To be concluded._)
[Illustration: FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES.
AMERICAN BARN OWL.
1/2 Life-size.
COPYRIGHT 1899,
NATURE STUDY PUB. CO., CHICAGO.]