494 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



After they had been domiciled with us some 

 veai's, wc became possessed of a pet crow. And of 

 all the odd, comical, incomprehensible imps that 

 ever breathed vital air, he was surely chief. There 

 ■was nothing in the least strange that he did not 

 pry into wth the most commendable zeal and the 

 most comical gra'sity. Notliing outre or out of the 

 wa}', that did not seem to tickle his fancy. In lixct, 

 he had a marvellous eye for the ludicrous ; and the 

 quaint dences to which he was constantly resorting 

 to gratify his propensity for fun exceed belief. I 

 do not intend to give you his crowships history at 

 this time ; that would require more space than either 

 of us could spare at present. But the very thought 

 of him makes my side ache. Why, the cock of his 

 miscliievous eye, or the tmst of his comical head, 

 was as good as an afterpiece. Alas, he has fallen ! 

 Fallen in his field of glory ! A ^•ictim to his incor- 

 rigible love of " devilment," and a reckless disre- 

 gard of gunpowder — a defect of his early educa- 

 tion. Poor fellow ! Reqidescat in pace. 



Shortly after he became so wonted to the place 

 as to be entrusted with his liberty, the Httle box 

 on the roof struck him as deserving particular at- 

 tention, and forthwith he commenced one of those 

 comical investigations, which to be appreciated, must 

 have been seen. The poor Uttle songsters, having 

 a yoimg family only a few hours old, became speed- 

 ily alarmed at these inquisitorial proceedings, and 

 as his crowship, in the progress of his examination, 

 placed liimself in dangerous proximity with their 

 httle home, they commenced a simultaneous attack 

 upon the daring intruder, Avith a courage hardly to 

 have been expected from their gentler natures. 

 The scene was singular, and, but for the e%ident 

 flight and suffering of the agonized parents, would 

 have been laughable in the extreme. The puny 

 little assailants, with their needless alarm, and the 

 great clumsy crow, ducking and bobbmg M'ith many 

 awkward manifestations of fear, or throwing up his 

 beak and turning up his great black eyes in the 

 most ludicrous manner, as if deprecating the anger 

 of his little friends, yet mamtainmg his ground, and 

 when the assault slackened, turning his head awry, 

 and proceeding in his investigations with the most 

 comical gra\ity. The scrutiny of those curious 

 eyes seemed to the little flutterers fraught mth 

 ruiu to all their hopes, and, continually rencAnng 

 the attack, it was quite plain, at length, that they 

 were making the black intruder's position really un- 

 comfortable. Irritated, it may have been, by the 

 jiertmacity of the assault, or smarting from the 

 blows that now rained incessantly upon his head, 

 the crow suddenly raised himself, and poising Iris 

 beak much as one would a pick, drove it full 

 against the breast of that Uttle half- distracted 

 mother, and laid her prostrate at liis feet. Still, 

 motionless, — without a flutter ! without a quiver ! 

 Dead ! dead ! Yes, the tumult of that Httle l)reast 

 was stilled forever ! It was a dastardly deed — a 

 murderous deed ! And so those gi-eat black eyes pro- 

 nounced it, as ^rith a look of conscious guilt, they 

 melted away amid the clouds, ftxr from the scene of 

 that cruel violence. And he, that little unfortunate 

 that thus survived the desolation of his home, 



to see that the destitution of his helpless fledglings 

 was prominent in his thoughts even in his great 

 anguish. Humanity might have wept without a 

 blusli. Feeling that the sight of the dead only 

 added to liis sufferings, I caused the body to be con- 

 signed to mother earth. Soon after, perching upon 

 his Httle house, he poured forth his lamentations in 

 soft, low, wailing notes, such as I have never heard 

 upon any other occasion, and then raising himself 

 high in the air, with a Ijokl, vigorous and continuous 

 flight — acting plainly from some fixed pur])ose, he 

 rapidly disa])peared from sight, far from his usual 

 range and neigh1)orhood. Watching his recetUng 

 form as he melted a-way in the blue distance, I was 

 soon lost in conjecture as to his probable purpose ; 

 fearful, indeed, that his sad bereavement, and the 

 perplexities of his situation, or more lUiely, fear of 

 further nolence, had quite broken his s])irit and 

 driven him forth from his old home and helpless off- 

 spring, a wanderer upon the earth. Becoming im- 

 patient at his absence, I had just resolved to take 

 those little unfortunates and endeavor to supply to 

 them a parent's place, Avhen liis old famiHar voice 

 fell uj)on my ear, and looking up, beheld with as- 

 tonishment that he had returned, accomj)amed by 

 another. Yes, marvellous as it appeared, there sat 

 with him on that little box a female com])anion, 

 that ui answer to his earnest appeal, had evidently 

 hastened to his desolate abode to aid him in this, 

 his greatest need. The novelty of her situation, 

 and the fearfulness of the tragedy just revealed to 

 her, very naturally rendered her nervously timid, 

 and it was evidently with palpitating heart that she 

 dropped down from liis side to the Httle doorway, 

 and contemplated her helpless charge. Sorrowfully, 

 with soft notes of encouragement, he sang to her 

 the while, when becoming reassured, she entered 

 upon the discharge of her maternal duties; and 

 from that hour forth continued to perform them 

 with all the solicitude and tenderness of a mother. 

 How singular! This, then, was the object that took 

 him from his home and helpless young at a moment 

 when they seemed menaced with destruction ; A^-hen 

 the same enemy that had destroyed his gentle mate 

 might return and devour them. True ; but, alas ! 

 they were threatened with another, and to him, far 

 more certain calamity. It was against that he must 

 pronde. Hence his seeming desertion. Cruel sus- 

 picion! How lost in admiration should I have 

 watched his flight, had I knowii the high moral 

 courage that dictated liis conduct. Fear for him- 

 self, — he knew it not. Desertion of his offspring ; 

 it was farthest from his thoughts. Commending 

 them with nioin-nful songs to the great Being that 

 created them, he had gone forth upon the A\ings of 

 the wind to ol)tain that assistance with which alone 

 he could preserve them. And she that thus came 

 at his call, a ministering angel ! "VVho was she ? 

 In what relation did she stand to this sorrowing 

 family ? Where cHd he find her ? How came she 

 disengaged at this time ? Or how came he con- 

 scious that she Avas so ? These, and many questions 

 and reflections of similar import, passed upon me, 

 as witnessing the marvellous development of a su- 

 perior intelligence, this beautifid and affecting dis- 



how I grieved Avith him, as Avith Ioav, plaintive \ play of sympathy and love upon the part of crea- 

 strains, full of anguish, he fluttered back and forth [tm-es hardly deemed Avorthy a thought. And then 

 between the Hving and the dead; now sitting by again, AA'as this an unusual occurrence, or did the Hacs 

 the body of his murdered mate, noAV gazing sadly ^ of the feathered race present many similar in- 

 in upon those little motlierless ones left avIioUa' to his ] stances ? Possibly they might, since but for a mere 

 care. It Avas indeed pitiful to behold, and A\ithal, accident, tliis most affecting ejjisode in the liistory 



