16 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



breasted troupials, the tyrant birds, the innumerable 

 sweet-voiced little crested song-sparrows, and a 

 hundred more — yet sad to leave the cardinal which 

 I admired and had grown to love above all birds, I 

 was taken back to my distant home on the great green 

 plains. So passed the winter, and the swallow returned 

 and the peach-trees blossomed once more; the long, 

 long dry hot summer season followed; then autumn 

 — the three beautiful months of March, April, and 

 May, when the sunshine was soft and we were among 

 the trees, feasting on ripe peaches every day and 

 all day long. 



Then again winter and the annual visit to the 

 distant town; but none of us children were taken 

 on this occasion. My mother's return after one of 

 these long absences was always a great joy and festival 

 to us children. To have her with us again, and the 

 toys and the books and delicious things she brought 

 us, made us wild with happiness; and on this occasion 

 she brought me something compared with which all 

 the other gifts — all the gifts I had ever received in 

 my life — were as nothing. She had a large object 

 covered from sight with a shawl, and, drawing me 

 to her side, asked me if I remembered my visit to 

 the city over a year ago, and how the birds at the 

 parsonage had attracted me ? Well, our friend the 

 clergyman, she went on to say, had gone back to 

 his own country and would never return. His wife, 

 who was a very gentle, sweet woman, had been my 

 mother's dearest friend, so that she could hardly 

 speak of her loss without tears. Before going away 



