16 



RECREATION. 



AMATEUR PHOT® BY WILL J. DICK. 



A DOUBLE SUBJECTo 



Winner of 21st prize in Recreation's 4th Annual 



Photo Competition. 



A PLFA FOR THE BIRDS. 



W. H. NELSON. 



A woodland path, flower-bordered, sweet, 

 Sheltered by high, o'erarching leaves, 



Beneath whose screen, with shuttle fleet, 

 The Summer mystic pattern weaves. 



Around me broods the silence soft, 

 And breath of flowers floats along, 



Not even in the boughs aloft 



Is heard the plaintive cushal's song. 



'Tis noontide, and June's mid-sky sun 

 Flings earthward drowsily his rays; 



The Summer day has but begun, 

 Yet dozes while her shuttle plays. 



Crash! on the silence bursts a sound 

 That makes the dreamer catch her 

 breath. 



Lo, struggling on the crimsoned ground 

 A creature in the throes of death! 



A mother from her nestlings torn! 



Hark, to her mate's despairing cries! 

 Alas, his life-span, too, is worn; 



A second shot and he, too, dies. 



The woman's heart within me throbs; 



I pour wild protests on the air; 

 The hunter, laughing at my sobs, 



Gathers his dead with tender care. 



"What will the nestlings do?" I cry, 

 "Bereft of all that loved them here? 



How can you ruthlessly destroy 

 God's little ones, oh man of fear? 



"Lo, yonder in their leafy home 

 The helpless ones will watch and call 



For those that never more shall come, 

 Till starved they, too, at last shall fall." 



"All very true," he made reply, 



"But why, I pray you, grieve at that? 



'Tis strange that you should make this cry, 

 You wear 2 birds, now, on your hat." 



5j« * 5j< 



Alas, my sisters, can we claim 



To love our children, yet not give 



To other mother-hearts the same 

 Right for their little ones to live? 



Now comes the maiden down the aisle, 

 Upon her face behold a winsome smaisle 



Full of glee; 

 For she knows her new fall taisle 

 Will raise the other maidens' baisle 

 And she'll be envied for awhaisle. 



Don't you see? — Chicago News. 



