The Song of the Cardinal

here!" demand

lightful excitement, and he found it impossible to refrain from giving vent to his feelings. He was commanding the farmer and every furred and feathe

He had hopped to the very edge of the nest and repeatedly urged her to go. She only ruffled her feathers, and nestled the eggs she was brooding to turn them, but did not offer to leave. The Cardinal reached over and gently nudged her with h

ewhere there came to him the faintest little "Chip!" he ever had heard. Up went the Cardinal's crest, and he dashed to the willow. There was no danger in sight; and his mate was greedily dipping her rosy beak in the water. He went back to the cradle and listened intently, and again that feeble cry came to him

t tulip tree, and cried cloudward to the lark: "See here! See here!" He dashed to the river bank and told the killdeers, and then visited the underbrush and informed the thrushes and wood robins. Father-tender, he grew so delirious with joy that he forgot his habitual

closed eyes, and little patches of soft silky down. Its beak was wide open, and though his heart was even fuller than on the previous day, the Cardinal knew what that meant; and instead of indulging in another celebration, he assumed the duties of paternity, and began searching for food, for now th

ngs of the farmer, he descended to earth and searched like a wood robin. He forgot he needed a bath

re! See

eady lovelight. She hovered over those three red mites of nestlings so tenderly! She was so abs

and once she reached over and softly kissed his wing. "See here! See here!" shrilled the Cardinal; and in his ecstasy

here! See here!" He tied the old gray mare to the fence to prevent her eating the young corn, and went immediately. By leaning a rail against the thorn tree he was able to peer into the sumac, and take a good look at the nest of handsome birdlings, now well screened with the umbrella-like foliage. It seemed to Abram that

alled from the well, where he w

rds, he's been up to the garden three times this morning yellin', 'See here!' fit

d!" gasped the a

ie to the fence, and go to the river bank, in the shade, for a visit with the Cardinal. It was very warm, and he was feeling

sed to send him if she saw prowlers with guns. He shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the points of the compass through narrowed lids with concentrated vision. He fi

ld, he reached the opposite corner, and was nibbling the midrib of a you

id in an even

friendly oldfashioned heart this seemed the rankest discourtesy; and there was a

premises, might I be privileged to ask if you have seen a

d after to the extent that I can make out your notices. From the numbe

amazingly, for a man of sixty years of peace. The gleam in his eyes grew s

very foot of 'em the signs are in full force. They're in a little fuller force in June, when half the bushes an' tufts o' grass are housin' a young bird family, 'an at any other time. They're sort o' upho

he asked: "Would you consider it trespass if a man simply crossed you

not! Glad to have you convenience yourself. I only wanted to je

if you require an explanation of the gun in June, I confess I did hope to be able to pick off a squirr

e o' sickness I'd be glad if you could run across a squirrel. All I wanted was

gleam of the gun-barrel, as the hunter rounded the corner and started down the

l for not stayin' right beside him past that point. An' yet-I made it

re and the corn; but he uprooted half that row, for his eyes wandered to the Cardinal's home as if he were fascinated, and his hands w

d. "Lord! but I'll be glad to see the old g

g down the Wabash. Abram's eyes widened, and a curious whiteness settled on his li

ross the corn field. Nancy's twenty years slipped from her as her master's sixty had from him. Without understanding the emergency, she knew that he required all the speed there was in her; and with trace-chains rattling and beating on her heels, she stretched out until she fairly swept the young corn, as she raced for the su

th anger as he appeared before the hunter, wh

at that redbi

eering among the bushes, denial seemed useless. "Yes, I did,"

of Abram's body. "Hit 'im?"

but I guess I

e, the Cardinal came darting through the bushes a wavering flame, and swe

the bird in deadly panic. The

great he seemed to shr

d solemnly, "for if you'd killed him, I'd a-mauled this stick to ri

rness, and the hunter, mistaki

tore the clothing from his shoulders, and held him back. "Drop that! Don't you

ck. I s'pose God's used to having creatures 'at He's made go wrong, but I pity your mother. Goodness knows a woman suffers an' works enough over her children, an' then to fetch a boy to man's estate an' have him, of his own free will an' accord, be a liar! Young man, truth is the cornerstone o' the temple o' character. Nobody can put up a good buildin' without a solid foundation; an' you ca

er shook

ke me curious. 'Ud you mind tellin' me what w

se I wanted to do something to make you f

itch it, an' it cuts a circle an' comes back to the fellow, at throwed. I can't see myself, an' I don't know how small I'm lookin'; but I'd rather lose ten year o' my life 'an to have anybody catch me lookin' as little as you do right now. I g

the things 'at's in it? Maybe it's your notion 'at somebody about your size whittled it from a block o' wood, scattered a little sand for earth, stuck a few seeds for trees, an' started the oceans with a waterin' pot! I don't

s around you, an' river there-all full o' life 'at you ain't no mortal right to touch, 'cos God made it, an' it's His! Course, I know 'at He said distinct 'at man was to have `dominion over the beasts o' the field, an' the fowls o' the air' An' that means 'at you're free to smash a copperhead instead of letting it sting you. Means 'at you better shoot a

pretty, coaxin' ways? Little red creatures, full o' hist'ry, too! Ever think o' that? Last year's bird, hatched hereabout, like as not. Went South for winter, an' made frien

He got the `wet' jest as good as I can, an', if he drawed the `ye-ar' out a little, still any blockhead could a-told what he was sayin', an' in a voice pretty an' clear as a bell. Then he got love-sick, an' begged for comp'ny until he broke me all up. An' if I'd a-been a hen redbird I wouldn't a-been so long comin'. Had me pul

but he's got too much spunk to leave his fam'ly, an' go off an' hide from creatures lik

r joy o' life an' happiness ev'ry minute o' the time since he come. Been carryin' him grub to that top rail once an' twice a day for the last month, an' I can go in three feet o' him. My wife comes to see him, an' brings h

way to make folks love us, is for us to be able to 'preciate what they can do. If a man's puttin' his heart an' soul, an' blood, an' beef-steak, an' bones into paintin' picters, you can talk farmin' to him all day, an' he's dumb; but jest sh

that bird, an' then have you walk up an' shoot the little red heart out of it, jest to prove 'at you can! He's the very life o' this river bank. I'd as soon see you dig up the underbrush, an' dry up the river, an' spoil the picture they make against the sky, as to hev' y

' use. Worshipin' that bird's a kind o' religion with me. Getting the beauty from the sky, an' the trees, an' the grass, an' the

r saw nothin' else as beautiful, or as good. No flower's as fragrant an' smelly as her hair on her pillow. Never tapped a bee tree with honey sweet as her lips a-twitchin' with a love quiver. Ain't a bird 'long the ol' Wabash with a voice up to hers. Love o' God ain't broader'n her kindness. When she's been home to see her folks, I've been so hungry fo

the love of mercy do

uppose you think I've any human instincts at all; but I have a few, and I see the way to arouse more. You probably w

ee, and dropped the remainder of his h

,'" he said. "I'll leave those thing for you;

hes, a leap over the fence, and A

his shaking hands, and watched them wonderingly, and then cupped one over each trembling knee to steady himself. H

heap o' leather fixin's. Must a-cost a lot o' money. Said he wasn't fit to use 'em! Lept the fence like a panther, an'

here!" shrill

ully. He was quivering with

been over, an' the summer jest spoiled. Wonder if you knew what it meant, an' if you'll be

o her back, laid the gun across his lap and rode to the barn. He attended the mare with particular solicitude, and bathed his face and hands in the water trough to make himself a little more pr

he said, patting her shoulder, "I never

e excitement were telling on him sorely, and as he rested he confided to her: "I don't

the bird, and so indignant at the act of the hunter, that she never said a word about Abram's torn clothing and the hours

that. Poor fellow! I do hope, Abram, you didn't come down on him too awful strong. May

her face in an effort to learn if she were covered; and as he drew the sheet over her shoulder he mutt

ever again would he trust any one carrying a shining thing that belched fire and smoke. He had seen the hunter coming, and had raced home to defend his mate and babies, thus making a brilliant mark of himself; and as he would not have deserted them, only the arrival of the farmer had averted a tragedy in the sumac. He did

find time frequently to mount to the top of the dogwood, and cry to the world, "See here! See here!" for the cardinal babies were splendid. But his music was

ys pushed himself forward, cried the loudest and longest, and so took the greater part of the food carried to the nest; and one day, while he was still quite awkward and uncertain, he climbed to the edge and reached so far that he fell. He rolled down

n the water and to hear the splash of the fish. He called in helpless panic and fluttered over the spot. He watched and waited until there was no hope of the nestling coming up, then he

and feet were really red; and how his crest did flare, and how proud and important he felt, when he found he could raise and lower it at will. His sister was not nearly so bright as he, and she was almost as greedy as th

e clung to the thorn limb, shivering at the depths below; and it was the greatest comfort when her brother plucked up courage and came sailing across to her. But, of course, she could not be expected to admit that. When she saw how easily he did it, she flared her crest, turned her head indifferently, and inquired if he did not find flying a very easy matter,

t it was a great mercy they escaped with their lives. He had mastered many lessons, but he never could be taught how to be quiet and conceal himself. With explosive

d had flown, two more nests were built, and two other broods flew around the sumac. By fall the C

forests pungent with spicebush and sassafras; festooned with wild grape, woodbine, and bittersweet; carpeted with velvet moss and star

severe frosts, nuts rattling down, scurrying squirrels, and the rabbits' flash of gray and brown. The waysides were bright with the glory of goldenrod, and royal with the purple of ast

they flamed and rioted up and down the shining river, raced over the corn field, and tilted on the sumac. T

e! Brave songster of the flaming coat, too proud to hide your flashing beauty, too fearless to be cautious of the many dangers that