1 86 What Birds Have Done With Me 



wise, against painting my client blacker than he 

 is, and even blacker than the devil. 



I honestly cannot tell just when and where it 

 was that I met my first Crow; I am, however 

 quite certain that it was not at a conservatory 

 of music and it might have been at the obsequies 

 of man's noble friend, the horse. Perhaps the 

 way he sticks around after what has been done to 

 exterminate him may be traced to this same habit 

 of getting, so to speak, the first chance at the 

 glue pot. Being an undertaker's apprentice, it 

 is fitting that he should wear black and eschew 

 frivolity of all kinds; a sad bird, indeed, if sad- 

 ness is to be accentuated by a customary suit of 

 solemn black. Strongly social by nature, some 

 think he has a language, and if that is so, per 

 adventure he gossips or talks shop. 



Leaving the domain of conjecture and coming 

 into that of fact, it may be averred that no other 

 bird has been the victim of so much prejudice, 

 perjury and piffle. Pre-judgment is the forming 

 of an opinion before you are in possession of the 

 facts in the case and such an opinion once adopted 

 is frequently held with the utmost tenacity when 

 facts are presented calculated to overthrow your 

 pre-judgment. Sentiment, dislike, love, hatred, 

 rarely have a foundation of fact and you can do 

 no more to change them by pelting them with facts 

 than you could drive away a fog by throwing 



