Show I O I 1 r rb io b L Blanche angle anus anner I li there had been in the members ilo Jr young oung oun gird home hone for ten years lIch each year car n a tree had been decorated to later be shut n a away in the living room the beauty and Joy of It shared friends who on only I with those came carne to call Mrs IJ's Bird BinI seated scaled before the open with Christmas fire In the library only n a week away wondered if it would be e the tile same this year car Her husband seated sealed on the other side of ot the lire fire place his book hook on his knee gazed dreamily Into the fire lire She Site wondered won dered tiered if he were thinking of the same thing tiling I was WIS thinking about Chri Christmas mill Iud about having lIa a n tree this year Mrs Mis Bird said It lends such an nn nIlor air nIl it of or festivity I thought we decided that last year when we c bought hought that live tree and planted It later her husband re- re turned Yes Yea I guess guess s we YC really did There was ns a note of sadness In Mrs rs Birds Bird's voice It had been so different when the children ren were at home First there was Kobin Hobin then James nicknamed nick named Jay Bird Jenny Tenny William Katherine Kath erine called Cat Cat Bird Blyd by br her brothers and just plain Mary ar plain with a afancy afancy fancy temper as ns one of the family was fond of sa saying in This fancy temper tem tern per had asserted Itself when her parents parents par par- had hall not approved ed of the man of her choice and although she agreed with them later and abided by hy their then decision she made up her mind that she would not be dictated to and went out nut Into the world to assert her In dependence With Mary nn too busy with her work worl and tind the others bus busy with their vidual victual problems and pleasure then them had been heen no family gatherings at tiff the big and comfortable Bird frd home for foi forman man many years ears The next day looking from the win window i dow tiow at the planted Christmas tree Mrs Bird noticed a n bird pecking at nt atthe attlio the tho frozen ground for his morning meal Poor thing she sighed In n ti 11 moment nellt however howen r her e eyes es shining with happiness she clapped her hands The Thee e very very y thing she cried as she she- hurried to unfold her plan to Hn Hannah D h the c cook ok Until the day before borore Christmas in an anair an anair air of m mystery hung over o the kitch kitchen n nas as great preparations went on for tor sonic some forthcoming event When the thela tiny day la before Christmas arrived and Mr Bird was awa away on an errand Mrs Bird and Hannah were busily t tying ln strings of popcorn cranberries bi bl blIed big red apples pieces of ot bacon hacon and und cake and baskets of grain and crumbs and other choice tidbits for birds on the planted Christmas tree What on e earth rth exclaimed Mr II Bird as he saw the preparations on ou his arrival al home Oil Oh Edward Mrs Irs Bird cried as she clasped his arm It did dill seem so selfish to have a tree shut away In Inthe Inthe inthe the house for no one to enjoy it but so I thought I would share it with the other kind of birds Bless s you ou dear dem putting his arm around her hel I 1 never ne felt very happy about It m myself j lr hut but I didn't know knO what to do o about it but now now now- Oh look 1001 Mrs Irs Bird whispered as the first visitor arrived from flom the allIn air all In a few minutes others of his kind kind had hall arrived ed and in a short time the 9 r 1 k o C I Ir I Ii r Ir fl iA i A Chattering Flock of the L Little Feathered Cre Creatures tree was filled with a n chattering s flock of ot the e little feathered creatures That flint night there were lights In the tree and as ns 1 Mr r. r and Mrs Irs Bird looked at It from the window several ezal car o came up the lull hill and d turned In at nt the HIM driveway They hn have e seen sern the lights and come t to o see s st our tree was the their theil r lon 1 Bu Hut tit In n moment fi fig figures r were rush n- n toward the house while while voices called Merry pi Christmas w Fa ther Cher and Mother Merry Ch Grandfather and anti Grandmother an nud once more mOle the children were nIl hOtle lI Mary ar and nil all Th Then Theil ell nil the th m nt y HI nil hind bad to tell ot over O er and oe over it II was Mary who first suggest suggested tl tI lr 1 prise n and o ot f the planning t f c rl lowe lowed As 8 they all nIl took their last In li at 1 the tile tree that nl night ht Mrs Bird la l' l happily said Little o dl did tt we e for which birds we were tree the file te N Newspaper r Union |