A Kentucky Cardinal | Page 6

twitter that was meant for your private ear?
As March goes out, two things more and more I hear--the cardinal has
begun to mount to the bare tops of the locust-trees and scatter his notes
downward, and over the way the workmen whistle and sing. The bird is
too shy to sit in any tree on that side of the yard. But his eye and ear are
studying them curiously. Sometimes I even fancy that he sings to them
with a plaintive sort of joy, as though he were saying, "Welcome--go
away!"

IV
The Cobbs will be the death of me before they get here. The report
spread that they and I had already had a tremendous quarrel, and that,
rather than live beside them, I had sold them my place. This set flowing
towards me for days a stream of people, like a line of ants passing to

and from the scene of a terrific false alarm. I had nothing to do but sit
perfectly still and let each ant, as it ran up, touch me with its antennae,
get the counter-sign, and turn back to the village ant-hill. Not all,
however. Some remained to hear me abuse the Cobbs; or, counting on
my support, fell to abusing the Cobbs themselves. When I made not a
word of reply, except to assure them that I really had not quarrelled
with the Cobbs, had nothing against the Cobbs, and was immensely
delighted that the Cobbs were coming, they went away amazingly cool
and indignant. And for days I continued to hear such things attributed
to me that, had that young West-Pointer been in the neighborhood, and
known how to shoot, he must infallibly have blown my head off me, as
any Kentucky gentleman would. Others of my visitors, having heard
that I was not to sell my place, were so glad of it that they walked
around my garden and inquired for my health and the prospect for fruit.
For the season has come when the highest animal begins to pay me
some attention. During the winter, having little to contribute to the
community, I drop from communal notice. But there are certain ladies
who bow sweetly to me when my roses and honeysuckles burst into
bloom; a fat old cavalier of the South begins to shake hands with me
when my asparagus bed begins to send up its tender stalks; I am in high
favor with two or three young ladies at the season of lilies and
sweet-pea; there is one old soul who especially loves rhubarb pies,
which she makes to look like little latticed porches in front of little
green skies, and it is she who remembers me and my row of pie-plant;
and still another, who knows better than cat-birds when currants are
ripe. Above all, there is a preacher, who thinks my sins are as scarlet so
long as my strawberries are, and plants himself in my bed at that time
to reason with me of judgment to come; and a doctor, who gets
despondent about my constitution in pear-time--after which my health
seems to return, but never my pears.
So that, on the whole, from May till October I am the bright side of the
moon, and the telescopes of the town are busy observing my
phenomena; after which it is as though I had rolled over on my dark
side, there to lie forgotten till once more the sun entered the proper side
of the zodiac. But let me except always the few steadily luminous
spirits I know, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

If any one wishes to become famous in a community, let him buy a
small farm on the edge of it and cultivate fruits, berries, and flowers,
which he freely gives away or lets be freely taken.
All this has taken freely of my swift April days. Besides, I have made
me a new side-porch, made it myself, for I like to hammer and drive
things home, and because the rose on the old one had rotted it from
post to shingle. And then, when I had tacked the rose in place again, the
little old window opening above it made that side of my house look like
a boy in his Saturday hat and Sunday breeches. So in went a large new
window; and now these changes have mysteriously offended Mrs.
Walter, who says the town is laughing at me for trying to outdo the
Cobbs. The highest animal is the only one who is divinely gifted with
such noble discernment. But I am not sorry to have my place look its
best. When they see it, they will perhaps understand why I was not to
be driven out by a golden cracker on their family