o be present. County Superintendent of Schools Samuel Hamilton
was simply a mass of delight. And how could he be otherwise,
surrounded as he was by 2,000 and more children fairly quivering
with delight?

Children will care for and defend things that are their very own,
fight for them and stand guard over them. Realizing this Mr.
Phillips undertook to show them how they could have birds all their
own. Being clever in devising schemes for achieving things most to
be desired, he began giving out bird-boxes to those who would agree
to put them up, and to watch and defend the birds when they came to
make their homes with them. And he found that no more faithful
sentinel ever stood on guard than the boy who had a bird-house all
his own.

Here was the solution to the vexed problem. Provide boxes for those
who would agree to put them up, care for the birds, and study their
habits and needs. The children agreed at once, and the birds did not
object, so Mr. Phillips had some hundreds, four or five, blue-bird
and wren boxes constructed during the past winter. These were passed
out some weeks ago to any boys or girls who would present an order
signed by their parents, and countersigned by the principal of the
school.

He knows enough about a boy to know that he does not prize the
things that come without effort, nor will he become deeply
interested in anything for which he is not held more or less
responsible. Hence the advantage in having him write an order, have
it indorsed by his parents, and vouched for by his school principal.

That he had struck the right scheme was proven by the avidity with
which the girls and boys rushed for the boxes. The fact that a heavy
rain was falling did not dampen their ardor for a moment, nor did
the fact that they were tramping Mr. Phillips' beautiful lawn into a
field of mud.

Mr. Phillips, seeing the necessity of providing food for the
prospective hosts of birds, and wishing to place the responsibility
on the boys and girls, offered to provide a cherry tree or mulberry
tree for every box erected, provided they should be properly planted
and diligently cared for.

This was practically the culmination of the most unique bird scheme
ever attempted, and yesterday was the day set apart for the
distribution of these hundreds of fruit trees, the products of which
are to be divided share and share alike with the birds