BIRDS ABOUT THE HOUSE. 



Many young persons, and older ones too, are 

 discontented with their homelife, because they im- 

 agine that they have seen everything worth seeing 

 in their neighborhood. They have therefore come 

 to regard it as humdrum, tame and commonplace. 

 If they could but travel and visit new scenes, 

 climb the mountains or roam about Old World 

 ruins, they fancy their happiness would be com- 

 plete. My friend, if you cannot afford to travel, 

 there is no need to feel dissatisfied. There are 

 plenty of interesting things around your own 

 home to occupy your time, especially if you live in 

 the country or in the suburbs of a town, if 3^ou will 

 onl}^ study them. There are the plants, the rocks, 

 the insects, and the birds. They will afford con- 

 stant opportunity for research and recreation. 

 Why should not young people give attention to 

 the study of these natural objects, instead of frit- 

 tering away their time in useless repining or 

 building castles in the air ? Of course, I do not 



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