WANT OF THOUGHT | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 27, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 42.

WANT OF THOUGHT.

It has been said, in apology for the wholesale slaughter of birds to adorn our ladies, that it is rather "want of thought" than "want of heart" which is at the root of the craze. In many instances, undoubtedly, it is so. Some time ago a correspondent informed the writer of an incident in proof of this. Two little mites (a boy and a girl) recited at the Hythe Band of Mercy "Our Appeal to the Ladies," in which occur the lines:—

"So lovely you are, so kindly, 'tis said, How can you wear headgear bedeck'd with the dead? O ladies! how can you? Don't you think it is wrong, Your hats costing live birds and hushing a song? O ladies, dear ladies, pray list to our words! Don't wear hats bedeck'd with sweet-singing birds; O ladies, dear ladies, pray list to our words, Don't wear hats that call for the killing of birds! There are ribbons and flowers of loveliest hue; Why kill the poor birdies, they never hurt you?"

A strange lady sitting there, with a large bird in her hat, suddenly snatched it off her head, and, tearing off the bird, threw it under her feet, saying as she did so, with tears in her eyes: "Oh, I never thought of it in that way! After such a rebuke from infant lips I'll never wear another bird."—London Echo.