THE STORY OF A GARDEN 1 33 



to soothe the heartache. One day, 

 led by an older mate, he trudged a 

 weary way to see a robber hanged. 

 The child, not realizing the scene he 

 was to witness, was shocked to nervous 

 frenzy, and a pitying bystander, think- 

 ing to divert his mind, gave him a 

 shilling. Spying a bird pedlar in the 

 crowd, he bought a goldfinch and a 

 pint of seeds, and the horror of the 

 hanging was quite forgotten and effaced 

 by the little bird, his first possession. 

 To it he gave his confidence and told 

 all his small griefs and joys, and 

 through the bird Nature laid her warm 

 hand on his heart and gently drew it 

 toward their mutual Master, and never 

 after did he forget her consolation. 



All this was more than seventy years 

 ago. When the boy grew to manhood, 

 following the student life, the spirit 

 of the bird that had blotted out the 



