the pastor of their home church, busy as a politi- 

 cian, was making speeches and passing small slips of 

 paper among the men and women, explaining to 

 them the value of birds as the natural enemies of 

 food-destrovino- insects. 



" I want you," said Brother Wright, " to sign 

 these pledges for Bird Sanctuaries, not because I 

 am interested in the work ol the Green Meadow- 

 Club but because it is a good thing." 



And before Jones and his friends had time to 

 close their surprised mouths, or explain that thev 

 didn't just " get " that there what-do-vou-call-it bird 

 sane-something, Brother Wright began to shoot a 

 fusillade of facts which proved him to be almost as 

 well-informed a naturalist as he was a student of the 

 Bible. 



He talked straight economy, not sentimentalism. 

 He explained that if the farmers' land were kept as 

 a sanctuary — place of safety, of refuge — for wild birds, 

 and all farm shotguns used for bonfires, the chances 

 of loss through insect pests would be reduced one- 

 third. The farmhands miirht have to eat hshballs 

 or corned-beef hash for breakfast instead of little 

 birds, but the wheat and corn would be sturdier. 



*5 



