i6 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



would pass me by without a word or smile. How 

 strange, how unnatural, it seemed that this man I feared 

 and hated should be a lover of birds and the owner of 

 that precious cardinal! 



The long visit came to an end at last, and, glad to 

 return to the birds I had left — to the purple cow-birds, 

 the yellow-breasted and the crimson-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 fol- 

 lowed; 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 occa- 

 sion. My mother's return after one of these long ab- 

 sences 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 some- 

 thing 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 



