8 OUR HOME PETS 



eyes, in the glare of the hot sun, or against a 

 burning brick wall ; shivering in the draught 

 of an open window ; shrinking from the fall- 

 ing rain and the unaccustomed night air; 

 smothered in muslin up to their roof, or 

 starving on a thimbleful of seed and about 

 as much water. But this is not because they 

 are caged ; it is because of the thoughtless- 

 ness or carelessness of their keepers. 



I regard it as just as bad to keep a bird with- 

 out giving due care and attention to its needs 

 as to leave a horse in a stable without food 

 or exercise, or a dog chained to a post day 

 after day and week after week. Looked at 

 in* one way, indeed, it is worse, for a dog 

 can make himself very disagreeable, and re- 

 mind people of his presence, while the horse, 

 representing a considerable sum of money, 

 is usually thought of ; but the poor bird, not 

 worth much in dollars, with a language un- 

 noticed and unintelligible to most of us, can 

 only die, as thousands of them do die every 

 year, victims to the neglect of somebody. 

 This is truly an outrage, and no sympathy 

 that is expended on these unfortunate creat- 

 ures is wasted. 



