180 TROUBLE IN THE HONEYSUCKLES. 



hero often seemed exhausted and utterly un- 

 able to endure his accumulated calamities. 



Once, toward night, madam alighted in the 

 usual place with one who was plainly a lover. 

 He began to puff out his feathers and assume 

 the airs of a wooer, when down from his post 

 on the roof came the avenging husband and 

 drove him away in a twinkling. The hen did 

 not fly, however, and her spouse alighted near 

 her. She began to scold, but he tried to make 

 love to her. " Come," said his manner, " let 's 

 make up ; I shall not always be so helpless as 

 now." But every time he tried to approach 

 her she turned her bill toward him, talking 

 vigorously. " You 're a good-for-nothing," one 

 could almost hear her say; "you'll neither help 

 me yourself nor let any one else, and here I 'm 

 nearly worked to death and the babies like to 

 starve." Then he coaxed again, but she re- 

 fused him harshly and flew to the nest. 



This curious scene took place toward evening, 

 but the next morning things had changed. He 

 was better and brighter everyway, could get 

 about much more easily on his one leg, and I 

 saw no more of rivals. He went in and out of 

 the honeysuckles quite often. Sometimes he 

 was greeted by a scolding and sometimes by 

 the shrill chirping of the little ones, but he 

 went as often as he chose. Under this new as- 



