The Bluebird's Housekeeping 



S. Louise Patteson. 



A Bluebird pair, on returning from their southern home 

 one February, found a new bungalow under their last year's nest 

 tree. 



Xear by there was also a feeding board with a piece of suet 

 on it, over which was a scattering of raw rolled oats. All of 

 which looked very friendly ; but Bluebirds never did care for 

 alms, and not until the Song-Sparrow arrived did the lunch 

 counter get a patron. 



One April morning the Bluebirds found a neat birdhouse 

 and then there was a flurry of excitement. 



The house had two compartments, one in front, the other 

 at the rear. The birds favored the front one. and after spending 

 a few moments inside, hopped out onto the porch and talked 

 it over. 



"Just right for our nesting," said the darker of the two, 

 whom the lady in the bungalow called Girlie. 



"Let's move in before someone else does," assented the other. 

 With this Girlie flew to the ground and gathered the first billful 

 of grasses for the nesting, while Boy Blue, as the lady named 

 him, stood guard. 



For the lady had a cat that sometimes crouched on a low 

 fence rail, or hid in the weeds, and watched the birds as they 

 hunted for food. Once she almost caught Boy Blue, and he 

 meant to see to it that she shouldn't get his Girlie. 



One day, after the nest building had been going on for a 

 while, the cat did climb up the tree on which the house stood, 

 smelled around, reached inside, and perhaps would have spoiled 

 Girlie's work if the lady hadn't come with a long handled rake 

 and poked the intruder down. After that a sheet of tin was 

 nailed around the tree, and the cat couldn't climb it any more. 



Boy Blue had a long, wordy, tender song : 



"Deary dear deary dear, oh deary dear deary !" with all 

 sorts of variations. But he sang it so softly and low, evidently it 

 was meant for Girlie's ears, and nobody's else. 



Sometimes she answered him with a curt but sweet "dee-ar," 

 which always made him fly to her ; and at his approach she 

 twittered softly, and joyfully fluttered her wings. They certainly 

 loved each other, and he was quite as proud of her as she of him, 

 although her back was only a slatey blue, and her breast a dull 



IQl 



