'TONY' THE MARTIN.
THE Sunday-school teacher drew a bow at a venture and J.. called out to a group of small boys tremendously busy with something. "Put that poor beetle down, children, and come along ; you'll be late." A chorus of voices answered her, "'Tain't a beetle, marm 'tie a little bird! " and three excited little boys rushed up with the unfortunate fledgeling. For a moment teacher hoped that she beheld a young sparrow which might presently be sacrificed to a certain owl, but a second glance revealed that the terrified mite huddling in her band was neither more nor less than a baby house-martin, and therefore entitled to every consideration.
Teacher sighed, for, to use the polite euphemism in vogue in country districts, she "is not so young as she have abeen," and sleep in the small hours is precious to her.
There is always a chance that these foundlings may speedily shuffle off this mortal coil, and in this case it seemed more than likely. The poor nestling had fallen from the eaves of a four-storied house on to a hard road; it had been man-handled by small boys ; and, worst of all, it was old enough to feel that dread of human beings which causes an animal to resist to death every effort to help it. Still the attempt must be made. Teacher took the baby into the room where her class awaited her : it lay quietly enough in her hand while she endeavoured to make St. Paul's missionary journeys interest- ing or at least intelligible to the bucolic mind, and at the end of the lesson (having obtained a promise that her boys would
walk orderly across to the church without her supervision) she took 'Martin' home and tried to make 'Martin' comfortable. A small covered basket lined with wadding received him : he was put on the kitchen mantelpiece and left to recover his shut-
tered nerves in quiet and warmth until service was over. Then a a mealworm was procured and a valiant effort made to feed him.
He could not be induced to open his beak, so it had to be done for him, and only those who have tried know how difficult it is to do this without hurting the bird, and bow little beak there is to lay hold of. The struggle was renewed every hour or so—on the whole successfully—but when teacher laid her head on the pillow that night she had small expectation of finding her charge alive next morning.
" Nuit porte conseil " is, however, true in many cases. About 3.30 a.m. a sound like a miniature watchman's rattle issued from the basket, and when the lid was raised, oh joy a wide open mouth popped up and mealworms were gulped down as fast as they could be provided. From that time onward ' Tony' was always ready for meals, and he speedily made himself the acknowledged master of the family among whom he found himself. He and his mealworm bottle went everywhere—into the garden to pick flowers and fruit, for drives (which be enjoyed), to garden parties (which bored him), and from room to room wherever his friends happened to be. Presently he grew adventurous and took to scrambling on to the edge of his basket, and resented having the lid shut; but what he liked best of all was to be'nursed. He would lie for an hour or more in the palm of ono's hand, snuggling down and occasionally rubbing his head against one's fingers, twittering contentedly. 1Vhen disturbed ho clung without feet and outstretched wings, scolding and even pecking, for 'Tony' bad a "temper," and manifested it plainly when matters were not to his liking. He learnt to preen his plumage, and took as much pride in his sprouting tail as a youth in the first growth of his moustache. His great achievement was an unusual one for a martin, his daily bath. A small dish was filled for him every morning, and he splashed with great gusto until be had not a dry feather on his plump little body. Next came the art of flying in preparation for the great day when he would take flight and join his fellows.
He was inclined to be lazy, preferring " slippered ease" to the strenuous life, but set him on the ground and stand a few yards off and call, and 'Tony ' put his best leg and wing forward. At first he pattered along on stumpy legs, then growing excited he would make astonishingly long leaps aided by his outspread wings until he reached a friend's hand, where he would nestle with chuckles of self-gratulation and much " kissing."
One day he made a notable discovery. His friends could not always provide a hand for his use, but he found he could scramble up the front of a blouse, squeeze himself in between two buttons, and cling as his forebears have done for genera- tions to the front of a house. Once perdu there he was perfectly happy, and he expressed it by low singing. Strangers sometimes found it bard not to show surprise on hearing the " dress front " of the lady with whom they were talking burst into melody, but it soon came to be understood that she was merely " wearing Tony.' " He was a long time learning to feed himself, and to the end of his stay always gave himself "three cheers" whenever be managed to catch or pick up either fly or mealworm.
The day of parting, however, drew near. It bad been agreed that as soon as Tony' was capable he should lead the life that nature intended. One fine morning when he was taken into the garden as usual he sprang from his friend's hand into the air, and after a few ever-widening circles he rose higher and higher until he joined the crowd of martins disporting themselves aloft, mingled with them, and was lost to sight. His going left a sad blank in the family circle, but it was better so, for martins seldom if ever survive the damp and gloom of an English winter, and we prefer to think of him enjoying his life in the sunshine. E. F. C.
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