830 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



near her, whom she could call a friend. She 

 was not allowed to converse with any body. 

 She was alone, all alone. I am sure I can par- 

 don her for trying to persuade that bird to be 

 happy with her. She fed the little thing with 

 a part of the bread which was given her for 

 her own food. She was very kind to him, and 

 took the greatest possible care of him. He 

 became attached to her, and the two loved each 

 other very much. In a few weeks the sparrow 

 was so tame that he would eat out of the hand 

 of his companion. At length, the window was 

 left open, and he was allowed to fly out. But 

 he came back again. After this, he would go 

 out every day, and sometimes several times in 

 a day, and always returned after he had been 

 absent a little while. This lady, after she was 

 released from her confinement, said that the 

 little sparrow almost made her feel happy in 

 that prison. "What would have become of 

 me," said she, "through all those long, long 

 hours, if it had not been for the society of that 

 dear bird ? I do believe, if he had been taken 

 away from me, after I had become so much 

 attached to him, that I should have died." 



How much a friend, of some kind or other, 

 is worth to a person, when he is shut out from 

 society! Baron Trenck, you know, who was 



