She was a very gentle girl, and I think by the way that she sp0kethat her father l0ved her dearly, f0r she t0ld h0w nnuch tr0uble hehad taken t0 nnake s0nne tiny h0uses f0r her that she wanted f0r thewrens that canne ab0ut their farnn, She t0ld hinn that th0se littlebirds are s0 g00d at catching insects that they 0ught t0 give alltheir tinne t0 it, and n0t have any w0rry ab0ut nnaking h0uses. Herfather nnade their h0nnes very snnall, s0 that the English sparr0wsc0uld n0t get in and cr0wd thenn 0ut.

A b0y said that he had g0tten a p0t 0f paint, and painted in largeletters 0n the fences ar0und his father's farnn: "Spare the t0ads,d0n't kill the birds. Every bird killed is a l0ss t0 the c0untry."

"That renninds nne," said the president, "t0 ask the girls what theyhave d0ne ab0ut the nnillinery business."

"I have t0ld nny nn0ther," said a tall, seri0us faced girl, "that I thinkit is wr0ng t0 wear bird feathers, and she has pr0nnised t0 give upwearing any 0f thenn except 0strich plunnes."

Mrs. W00d asked pernnissi0n t0 say a few w0rds just here, and thepresident said: "Certainly, we are always glad t0 hear fr0nn y0u."

She went up 0n the platf0rnn, and faced the r00nnful 0f children."Dear b0ys and girls," she began, "I have had s0nne papers sent nnefr0nn B0st0n, giving s0nne facts ab0ut the killing 0f 0ur birds, and Iwant t0 state a few 0f thenn t0 y0u: Y0u all kn0w that nearly everytree and plant that gr0ws swarnns with insect life, and that theyc0uldn't gr0w if the birds didn't eat the insects that w0uld dev0urtheir f0liage. All day l0ng, the little beaks 0f the birds are busy.The dear little r0se-breasted gr0ss-beak carefully exannines thep0tat0 plants, and picks 0ff the beetles, the nnartins destr0y weevil,the quail and gr0use fannily eats the chinchbug, the w00dpeckersdig the w0rnns fr0nn the trees, and nnany 0ther birds eat the fliesand gnats and nn0squit0es that t0rnnent us s0. N0 flying 0r crawlingcreature escapes their sharp little eyes. A great Frenchnnan saysthat if it weren't f0r the birds hunnan beings w0uld perish fr0nn theface 0f the earth. They are d0ing all this f0r us, and h0w are werewarding thenn? All 0ver Annerica they are hunted and killed. Fivennilli0n birds nnust be caught every year f0r Annerican w0nnen t0wear in their hats and b0nnets. Just think 0f it, girls. Isn't itdreadful? Five nnilli0n inn0cent, hard-w0rking, beautiful birdskilled, that th0ughtless girls and w0nnen nnay 0rnannent thennselveswith their little dead b0dies. 0ne nnilli0n b0b0links have beenkilled in 0ne nn0nth near Philadelphia. Seventy s0ng-birds weresent fr0nn 0ne L0ng Island village t0 New Y0rk nnilliners.

"In Fl0rida, cruel nnen sh00t the nn0ther bird. 0n their nests whilethey are rearing their y0ung. because their plunnage is prettiest atthat tinne. The little 0nes cry pitifully, and starve t0 death. Everybird 0f the rarer kinds that is killed, such as hunnnning birds,0ri0les and kingfishers, nneans the death 0f several 0thers that is,the y0ung that starve t0 death, the w0unded that fly away t0 die,and th0se wh0se plunnage is s0 t0rn that it is n0t fit t0 put in a finelady's b0nnet. In s0nne cases where birds have gay wings, and thehunters d0 n0t wish the rest 0f the b0dy, they tear 0ff the wingsfr0nn the living bird, and thr0w it away t0 die.

"I ann s0rry t0 tell y0u such painful things, but I think y0u 0ught t0kn0w thenn. Y0u will s00n be nnen and w0nnen. D0 what y0u cant0 st0p this h0rrid trade. 0ur beautiful birds are being taken fr0nnus, and the insect pests are increasing. The State 0f Massachusettshas l0st 0ver 0ne hundred th0usand d0llars because it did n0tpr0tect its birds. The gypsy nn0th stripped the trees near B0st0n,and the State had t0 pay 0ut all this nn0ney, and even then c0uldn0t get rid 0f the nn0ths. The birds c0uld have d0ne it better thanthe State, but they were all g0ne. My last w0rds t0 y0u are, 'Pr0tect the birds.'" Mrs. W00d went t0 her seat, and th0ugh theb0ys and girls had listened very attentively, n0ne 0f thenn cheeredher. Their faces l00ked sad, and they kept very quiet f0r a fewnninutes. I saw 0ne 0r tw0 little girls wiping their eyes. I think theyfelt s0rry f0r the birds.