THE NEW TENANTS. 



BY ELANORA KINSLEY MARBLE. 



Mrs. Wren, in a very contented 

 frame of mind, sat upon her nest, 

 waiting with an ever growing appetite 

 for that delicious spider or nice fat 

 canker worm which her mate had 

 promised to fetch her from the orchard. 



"How happy I am," she mused, 

 " and how thankful I ought to be for 

 so loving a mate and such a dear, 

 little cozy home. Why, keeping house 

 and raising a family is just no trouble 

 at all. Indeed " but here Mrs. Wren's 

 thoughts were broken in upon by the 

 arrival of Mrs. John, who announced, 

 as she perched upon the rim of the tin- 

 pot and looked disdainfully around, 

 that she had but a very few minutes 

 to stay. 



" So this is the cozy nest your hus- 

 band is so fond of talking about," she 

 said, her bill in the air. " My, my, 

 whatever possessed you, my dear, to 

 begin housekeeping in such humble 

 quarters. Everything in this world 

 depends upon appearances ; the sooner 

 you find that out, Jenny, the better. 

 From the very first I was determined 

 to begin at the top. The highest pole 

 in the neighborhood, or none, I said to 

 Mr. John when he was looking for a 

 site on which to build our house ; and 

 to do him justice Mr. Wren never 

 thought of anything lower himself. A 

 tin-pot, indeed, under a porch. Dear, 



dear ! " and Mrs. John's bill turned up, 

 and the corners of her mouth turned 

 down in a very haughty and disdain- 

 ful manner. 



" I-didn't-know, I'm-sure," faltered 

 poor little Mrs. Jenny, her feathers 

 drooping at once. " I-thought our 

 little house, or flat, was very nice and 

 comfortable. It is in an excellent 

 neighborhood, and our landlord's 

 family is " 



" Oh, bother your landlord's family," 

 interrupted Mrs. John impolitely. 

 " All your neighbors are tired and sick 

 of hearing Mr. Wren talk about his 

 landlord's family. The way he repeats 

 their sayings and doings is nauseating, 

 and as for naming your brood after 

 them, why" Mrs. John shrugged her 

 wings and laughed scornfully. 



Mrs. Wren's head feathers rose at 

 once, but experience had taught her 

 the folly of quarreling with her aunt, 

 so she turned the subject by inquiring 

 solicitously after her ladyship's health. 



" Oh, its only fair, fair to middliu', " 

 returned Mrs. John, poking her bill 

 about the edge of the nest as though 

 examining its lining. " I told Mr. 

 John this morning that I would be but 

 a shadow of myself after fourteen days 

 brooding, if he was like the other 

 gentlemen Wrens in the neighbor- 

 hood. Catch me sitting the day 



