A Kindergarten Experiment 251 



How the little bullfinch escaped, I could not im- 

 agine. I found him somewhat perturbed, and no 

 wonder. He had witnessed a scene of carnage in 

 which, fortunately, he was only a spectator. I felt 

 like congratulating him, but he was evidently in no 

 frame of mind for conventionalities. We were pretty 

 good friends, however, and I fancy I was able to 

 reassure him a little. How much they love sym- 

 pathy all these small inarticulate friends of ours, 

 and how little we realize it or bestow it ! Poor 

 little fellow ! he came up to the bars of the cage 

 and put his tiny head against the hand I extended. 

 He rubbed his velvet down against my roughened 

 cuticle. He even chirped a little, in a half-frightened 

 way, as if trying to tell me of the dreadful sight he 

 had witnessed. I talked to him gently, and put a 

 fresh piece of apple between the bars ; but he was 

 in no mood for dining. 



And so the problem of my responsibilities had 

 narrowed. I could now concentrate my attentions 

 upon two instead of five dependent creatures ; but 

 I was not happy over the prospect. It is true I 

 might have solved the question by opening the win- 



