50 MOTHER MAGPIE S MISCHIEF. 



&quot; O Mrs. Magpie, pray don t speak to my husband ; he 

 will think I ve been complaining.&quot; 



&quot; No, no, he won t ! Let me alone. I understand just 

 how to say the thing. I Ve advised hundreds of young 

 husbands in my day, and I never give offence.&quot; 



&quot; But I tell you, Mrs. Magpie, I don t want any inter 

 ference between my husband and me, and I will not have 

 it,&quot; says Mrs. Oriole, with her little round eyes flashing 

 with indignation. 



&quot; Don t put yourself in a passion, my dear ; the more 

 you talk, the more sure I am that your nervous system is 

 running down, or you would n t forget good manners in this 

 way. You d better take my advice, for I understand just 

 what to do,&quot; and away sails Mother Magpie ; and pres 

 ently young Oriole comes home, all in a flutter. 



&quot;I say, my dear, if you will persist in gossiping over 

 our private family matters with that old Mother Magpie 



&quot; My dear, I don t gossip ; she comes and bores me to 

 death with talking, and then goes off and mistakes what 

 she has been saying for what I said.&quot; 



&quot; But you must cut her.&quot; 



&quot; I try to, all I can ; but she won t be cut. 



&quot; It s enough to make a bird swear,&quot; said Tommy Oriole. 



Tommy Oriole, to say the truth, had as good a heart as 

 ever beat under bird s feathers ; but then he had a weakness 

 for concerts and general society, because he was held to be, 



