Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1891 — Preferred Prison to Liberty. [ARTICLE]

Preferred Prison to Liberty.

Not wishing to keep my young robin through the winter, 1 attempted to introduce him to liberty and his feathered kith and kin, says a writer. This was easier to say than to do As wi < b kindly treated slaves in the old days, liberty was what he dreaded. He had never been outside his prison bars, yet I had fancied when the door of his rage was opened he would fly away at once. Instead, he gave one little chirp of dismay and retreated to the farthest corner, looking imploringly at ine, as much as to say, “I’m a little fellow. Don’t make me go out Into that big world. I’m afraid. ” I closed the door of his cage, and a more delighted bird was never seen. This experiment was repeated for several successive days, but nothing could induce him to venture out. Finally I put ray hand in his rage and brought him forth. This attempt was followed by a series of small i ut piercing bird shrieks, uttered in a heartrending way by Robin, who stood ust outside the closed door. Next, lie peeked at the wires of his rage, flew excitedly about and Inspected his house from every point of view, even from the roof. Then he huddled down close by the door in such a fluffy forlorn wav that 1 opened it, and with a hop, skip and lump, and a shrill note of delight, he bounced in.