110 TUE VEERY MOTHER. 



say, "You thought I was carrying that morsel 

 to somebody, but you see I have eaten it myself ; 

 there's nothing up that path." But mucli as 

 I respected the dear mother, I did not believe 

 her eloquent demonstration. I selected another 

 point where I could stop a minute, and picked 

 my way to it. Then all my poor little bird's 

 philosophy deserted her ; she came close to me, 

 she uttered the greatest variety of cries ; she al- 

 most begged me to believe that she was the only 

 living creature up that gully. And so much 

 did she move me, so intolerably brutal did she 

 make me feel,- that for the second time I was 

 very near to turning back. 



But the cry began again. How could I miss 

 so good a chance to see that tawny youngster, 

 when I knew I should not lay finger on it? I 

 hardened my heart, and struggled a few feet 

 further. 



Then some of the neighbors came to see what 

 was the trouble, and if they could do anything 

 about it. A black-and-white creeper rose from 

 a low bush with a surprised "chit-it-it-it," 

 alighted on a tree and ran glibly up the upriglit 

 branch as though it were a ladder. But a 

 glance at the "cause of all this woe" was more 

 than his courage could endure ; one cry escaped 

 him, and then a streak of black and white passed 

 over the road out of sight. 



