MOTHER MAGPIES MISCHIEF. 5 I 



by all odds, the handsomest bird in the woods, and sung 

 like an angel ; and so the truth was he did n't confine him- 

 self so much to the domestic nest as Tom Titmouse or Billy 

 Wren. But he determined that he would n't have old 

 Mother Magpie interfering with his affairs. 



" The fact is," quoth Tommy, " I am a society bird, and 

 Nature has marked out for me a course beyond the range 

 of the commonplace, and my wife must learn to accommodate. 

 If she has a brilliant husband, whose success gratifies her 

 ambition and places her in a distinguished public position, 

 she must pay something for it. I 'm sure Billy Wren's wife 

 would give her very bill to see her husband in the circles 

 where I am quite at home. To say the truth, my wife was 

 all well enough content till old Mother Magpie interfered. 

 It is quite my duty to take strong ground, and show that 

 I cannot be dictated to." 



So, after this, Tommy Oriole went to rather more con- 

 certs, and spent less time at home than ever he did before, 

 which was all that Mother Magpie effected in that quarter. 

 I confess this was very bad in Tommy ; but then birds are 

 no better than men in domestic matters, and sometimes will 

 take the most unreasonable courses, if a meddlesome Mag- 

 pie gets her claw into their nest. 



But old Mother Magpie had now got a new business in 

 hand in another quarter. She bustled off down to Water- 

 dock Lane, where, as we said in a former narrative, lived 



