XXVI 
BIRD AND ARBOUR DAY AT FOXES CORNERS 
Ir was the first Friday of May, the day that was set 
apart for Arbour and Bird Day in the schools. Gray Lady 
and Miss Wilde had thought of having the celebration in 
Birdland, but for a good reason decided to hold it in the 
schoolhouse. 
The reason was this: One day after the schoolhouse 
had been put in order, — for Gray Lady had persuaded 
the town fathers to have the walls painted, and had then 
given a band of soft green burlap that covered the wall 
just above the chair board, and made a fine background 
against which pictures might be pinned and then changed 
at will, — little Clary said with a sigh, ‘“‘I wish we could 
have a bird party here in school some day, so’s mother 
could see how we learn about the birds; it would be much 
realer than my telling her about it.” 
So a very simple programme was arranged for the fore- 
noon, and the parents invited. It is a great mistake to 
hold celebrations that are too long when it is spring, and 
the weather is so bright and the bird music so fine that 
people can learn much more by being out-of-doors than in 
poring over books. 
The first part of the programme was under the charge 
of Jacob Hughes and the older boys. It consisted in the 
planting of some strong young sugar-maples to complete 
the row between the schoolhouse and the highway that 
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