124 A WIDOW AND TWINS. 



I had seen many birds in the tree, first and 

 last, but none that created anything like 

 such a stir. The mother was literally in a 

 frenzy. She went the round of her perches, 

 but could stay nowhere. Once she dashed 

 out of the tree for an instant, and drove a 

 sparrow away from the tomato patch. Or- 

 dinarily his presence there would not have 

 annoyed her in the least, but in her present 

 state of mind she was ready to pounce upon 

 anybody. All of which shows once more how 

 " human -like ' ' birds are. The bewilderment 

 of the oriole was comical. "What on earth 

 can this crazy thing be shooting about my 

 ears in this style for? " I imagined him say- 

 ing to himself. In fact, as he glanced my 

 way, now and then, with his innocent baby 

 face, I could almost believe that he was ap- 

 pealing to me with some such inquiry. 



The next morning ("at 7.32," as my diary 

 is careful to note) one of the twins took his 

 flight. I was standing on the wall, with my 

 glass leveled upon the nest, when I saw him 

 exercising his wings. The action was little 

 more pronounced than had been noticed at 

 intervals during the last three or four days, 

 except that he was more decidedly on his 



