14 The Omcmj. 



the worst speed," at tlic same time that it showed us 

 what is very often hard to believe, viz., that we were not 

 quite so clever as we thought. Though certainly dis- 

 comfited, we were not dismayed, hut gaining wisdom by 

 experience, w^e manfully set about our work again, 

 sino'ins: the w^hile — 



" The web ^nong the leaves 

 The spider weaves 

 Is like the gay charm Hope hangs o'er men; 

 Though often she sees 

 'Tis broke by the breeze. 

 She spins the bright tissue again." 



Instead, however, of trying to do it all at once, we 

 cut our paper according to the depth required. These 

 short lengths were soon put up by mamma, who now 

 came to our aid. Slips of plate-glass, about two inches 

 deep, were fitted inside the bottom of the wirew^ork, so 

 as to take out at pleasure, through which the birds 

 looked very pretty, and could ahvays be seen, whilst they 

 kept the sand and seed from falling out and being 

 scattered about the room. A cut-glass vase, in each 

 compartment, to hold their water to drink, and to bathe 

 in, gave additional lustre to the whole, which, thus 

 finished, became quite as ornamental to the room as it 

 was useful for the purpose we intended. 



Having thus completed our aviary, we naturally 

 began to wonder how many young ones we should 

 have, how pretty they would look just popping their 

 heads over the sides of their nest, and how charming it 

 would be to see them first hop abroad in the world. 

 Already visions of profit began to rise before our eyes 

 as we besjan to calculate the numbers we should have 



