126 OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS. 
large, isn’t 1t? but all the gentlemen in our family 
wear them, and that is what makes the fashion, you 
b] 
know.” Then the vain young hummer turned his head 
all about in the sunshine to make his gorget shimmer. 
“Oh, I see,” said Mr. Sparrow. “How do you like 
my new garden hat? You see it is striped,— two black 
stripes and three white stripes. It is very costly, and 
I hope it will wear a whole year.” 
“Why, that is a beautiful hat,” answered Mr. Hum- 
mer. ‘Do you suppose those new people up in the 
big house will come to our garden party?” 
“Oh, I hope so,” said Mr. Sparrow. “And there 
are some more new people here, tourists, Just passing 
over the Southern-Pacific-free-to-all bird route. They 
have stop-over tickets, I understand, and I mean to 
ask Mrs. Mocker to invite them all. She likes to get 
acquainted with strangers for the chance of mocking 
them behind their backs. I can’t help liking her, 
though.” 
“Tut, tut,’ said Mr: Sparrow, “1b isn’t right 20 
? 
gossip about one’s neighbors.” Then in a low tone 
he added, “If you don’t know anything good to say 
about a person like Mrs. Mocker, it shows you do not 
know her very well.” 
Mr. Mocker heard what they were saying about his 
wife, and he fell to mimicking them in a low key till 
the gossipers all flew off. 
Just then a red-shafted flicker called to his next 
neighbor, the humming-bird, with a loud, harsh ery, 
