The Audubon Societies 



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crackers and bread crumbs; but the Robin we fed on cooked peas, cherries, 

 muskmelon, and worms. When we could not get worms we gave him ham- 

 burger steak. At last the summer vacation came, and I took the birds home. 

 I am sorry to say the little Sparrow died, but Bobby grew, and his feathers 

 looked glossy, and his breast grew redder and redder. I taught summer school 

 for six weeks, so I had to go off and leave Bobby in the house alone from eight 

 to eleven o'clock, except that the little boy whom you see in the picture went 

 to my house and fed him once between those hours. When I came home Bobby 

 would speak to me through his little song of, cheer up, cheer up, before I could 

 open the door. He seemed to know my step. I kept him in a large box on 



CHUMS 



the kitchen table, but I did not cover it; and when the sun shone, he would 

 perch on the top and sing, making me think of that line of Lowell's, "The little 

 bird sits at his door in the sun." 



At last Bobby was able to feed himself from a little dish which I kept on 

 the table. I also kept there a basin of water in which he often took a bath, 

 and I sometimes put a dish of sand on the table from which he picked little 

 pebbles. I suppose these helped to digest his food. 



Morris, the little boy in .the picture, and myself, often took him outdoors 

 and each time he flew higher and higher after picking around in my flower 

 garden for worms and ants. We knew the time was approaching when Bobby 

 would probably fly away into his native place among the trees. I dreaded to 

 think that he must leave us, for we had become very much attached to him. 



