February, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



45 



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An attractive lookout summer-house with a place for the birds to nest in the cupola 



dried. We really wished to secure some of the Chickadees 

 as tenants and were particularly pleased when the next day 

 two other members of the same family appeared and gave 

 unmistakable evidence of approbation. We were delighted 

 to have them, and they began at once the furnishing of their 

 home. To encourage them as far as possible we laid some 

 wisps of hay, pieces of string, and a few feathers from an 

 old pillow where they would be easily seen, for we realized 

 that in a large city it might be difficult or perhaps impossi- 

 ble to secure just the furnishings which they desired. 



Mr. and Mrs. Tree swallow applied for another cottage, 

 and with two families of Wrens were cordially received, 

 for we felt that the stamp of their approval meant much to 

 a settlement built for modest and refined tenants. We helped 

 them with their furnishing and house-fitting, and in a few 

 weeks the entire colony had settled down to the hum-drum 

 domesticity of an old established village. Of course, we 

 had one or two complaints from Mrs. Swallow, and one of 

 the Wrens were not pleased with the way the light from 

 our study lamps penetrated the entrances to their homes. 

 We realized that the complaint was quite justified and were 

 careful to lower the shade each evening as soon as the 

 lamps were lighted. 



Having secured such desirable tenants we felt obliged 

 to do everything possible to make them happy and comfort- 

 able, and were careful to provide a drinking place for them 

 and to place upon the window sill such delicacies as the 

 season and the market afforded. Worms could not be had, 

 but bread crumbs and various kinds of cereals were pro- 

 vided and apparently enjoyed. Two birds' bathtubs were 

 purchased and each morning were filled with water and 

 placed within easy reach. We were careful, of course, to 

 have the water very slightly warmed for we did not wish 

 our little tenants to suffer the discomfort and inconvenience 

 of bathing in water absolutely chilled. 



A considerable time elapsed before we realized that the 



younger members of the four families were arriving, but 

 such was evidently the case, for we heard much chirping 

 and peeping, which we fully understood, and there was an 

 unusual amount of visiting which, of course, was by way of 

 congratulation. Such reticence was observed, however, that 

 we were never able to determine the exact membership of 

 any one of the four families. Domestic life as a rule was 

 even and undisturbed by any but the most amiable of family 

 quarrels. It is true that Mr. and Mrs. Swallow had one 

 or two disagreements shortly after they moved into our 

 settlement, but their family cares soon became so absorbing 

 that arguments were forgotten in the household duties which 

 doubtless occupied Mrs. Swallow, and in the increased re- 

 sponsibility which a growing family placed upon her hus- 

 band. 



By the time the window gardens were really at their best 

 and the four cottages well covered with vines, we saw that 

 the time for the debut of the junior members of the family 

 was at hand. We felt great anxiety upon these occasions, for 

 some bird houses were at least forty feet from the ground. 

 To make the process of learning to fly as easy and as safe 

 as possible we improvised a broad shelf just outside the 

 window garden and took care that no enemies of the birds 

 should be near. The management of the debuts was upon 

 the whole very successful, and but one distressing tragedy 

 occurred to mar the success of the Summer. Mr. and 

 Mrs. Swallow had failed to give even the remotest intima- 

 tion of their intention of launching their youngest daughter 

 and the debut found us wholly unprepared. For this reason 

 Mrs. Cat had not been restrained and locked up, and her 

 being just below the window as Miss Swallow fluttered down 

 resulted in a sudden catastrophe upon which we must draw 

 a veil. 



One day they left. We are eagerly awaiting their return 

 and have prepared a few additional houses to meet the 

 demand the success of the original cottages has created. 



