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Rev. C. D. Farrar,



the fire , though not in quite the same sense as Cranmer once

used the expression. As I watched the poor little flicker of life, I

must confess that I felt a tightening of the heart and throat, the

sensation produced on some people by sacred music or the

shimmer of moonlight on the sea.


Presently beneath the grateful warmth, I could hear the

feeblest of feeble little pipes—Peep—Peep—Peep continually

repeated. For a long time life was at so low an ebb that they

could not stand.


As soon as I got home, I put them into one of my small

aviaries with their gentle little mother. It was the prettiest

sight in the world to see her call them and to watch them snuggle

under her just like little chickens do under a hen. She seemed

to know no fear, and might have been used to see a six foot

parson standing over her all her life. This is all the more wonder¬

ful if we remember what a shy and timid bird the Sandpiper is.

Perhaps she was of the same opinion as one of my miners, for

he once said to me quite seriously, “ Eh, Mester Farrar, but if ye

nobbut seed two cocks a fightin on t’ road, yer heart ’d tak

part wi one o’ them.”


My heart certainly did go out to the brave little hen, as

she looked so sweet and confiding, with her soft brown eyes

fixed on me, as much as to say, I know you will see me and my

babies through this bit of bother. I had my doubts as to how to

go to work, but some doubts are like dirty water, let them alone

and they will evaporate. It was so in the present case. Had I

not reared other tender birds ; why then should I be beaten by a

nest of Sandpipers ?


Still the magnitude ot the task, as Mrs. Nickleby said on

another historic occasion—came upon me like a flash of fire and

almost froze my blood.


I knew very little about Sandpipers and their “ little

Marys,” but I judged that they would probably live on little fresh

water shrimps and such small deer as abide beside running

waters.


It was clear, however, that I could not get shrimps at



